t 


t 


L I  B  jR  A^  K  Y 


OF  THE 


Theological    Seminary, 

PRINCETON,    N.  J 

l^ook, 'y±^  •     No,     . 


V  / 


p. 


/ 


•3     ' 


CyO 


./y-,/ 


V 


*•»•«•••• 


!  V 


0 

i 


«ii. 


iw 


X 


\ 


-  •  .^  /' 


;;« 


■     !«4jyKy.vr5fe  .^ 


^^1i/^y„ 


***•»(»»••■" 


,>^ 


A 


COMPLETE 


HISTORY 


or  THE 


»ol^  MUt, 


AS  COJITAINED  IN  THE 

°   OLD  AND  NEW  TESTAMENTS, 

INCLUDING    ALSO    THE    OCCURRENCES   OF  FOUR  HUNDRED  YEARS 
FROM  THE  LAST  OF  THE  PROPHETS  TO  THE  BIRTH  OF  CHRIST, 

AND 

THE  LIFE  OF  OUfl  BLESSED  SAVIOUR  AND  HIS  APOSTLES,  &c 

WITH 

COPIOUS  NOTES, 

CRITICAL  AND  EXPLANATORY,  PRACTICAL  AND  DEVOTIONAL 


^ 


*^ 


«BS^wmang«qvmm 


From  th?  text  of  the  Rev.  LAURENCE  HOWEL,  A.  M.  with  considerate 

ADDITIONS  AND  IMPROVEMENTS,- 

j^ij  the  Rev.  GEORGE  BURDER, 

Author  of  Village  Sermons,  &c. 


THREE  VOLUMES  IN  TWO. 


VOLUME  JI. 


PRINTED  AND  PUBLISHED  BY  W.  W.  WOODWARD,  No.  52;, 
CORNER  OF  SECOND  AND  CHESNUT-STREETS. 


^ 


^1 

V 


1808. 


•s 


HISTORY 


OF  THE 


i|ol^  Bible. 


BOOK  THE  FIFTH,  CONTINUED. 

N  Manasseh  we  behold  a  remarkable  proof  of  the  insuf- 
ficiency of  education  alone,  to  form  a  good  and  virtuous 
character.  Something  more  powerful  is  wanting  to  fix  and 
preserve  right  principles  in  the  human  heart.  The  depra- 
vity of  man,  as  in  the  case  of  this  young  prince,  has  often 
been  so  violent,  as  to  break  down  every  barrier  ;  so  that 
the  children  of  the  most  godly  parents,  have  sometimes 
proved  monsters  of  iniquity.  One  might  have  hoped  that 
the  example,  instructions,  and  character  of  his  father 
would  have  left  some  valuable  impressions  on  his  mind, 
especially  when  connected  with  the  counsels  of  those  wor- 
thy persons  to  whom,  no  doubt,  his  father  had  entrusted 
him.  His  guilt,  however,  was  exceedingly  aggravated  by 
his  apostacy. 

From  the  atrocity  of  his  conduct,  what  could  be  expect- 
ed but  cd^sequences  the  most  signally  destructive.  But, 
"  where  sin  abounded,"  there  did  "  grace  much  more 
abound."  Repentance,  which  is  the  gift  of  God,  was  re- 
markably conferred  upon  him  ;  and  he  lived  long  enough 
after  this  happy  change  to  evince,  by  his  conduct,  the  rea- 
lity of  it,  and  thus,  the  severe  chastisement  of  God,  prov- 
ed his  choicest  blessing. 

The  repentance  of  Manasseh,  and  the  wonderful  display 
of  pardoning  mercy  towards  him,  are  exceedingly  instruc- 
tive and  encouraging.  Let  none  despair.  "There  is  for- 
giveness with  the  Lord  that  he  may  be  feared."  "The 
blood  of  Jesus  Christ  cleanseth  from  all  sin."  Thousands, 
probably,  have  derived  hope  from  the  example  of  Manas- 
seh, and  God  has  obtained  a  large  reyenue  of  praise  and  glory. 


4  A  Complete  Histonj  B.  C.  64 L 

Amon,  the  son  of  Manasseh,  succeeded  him.  He  in- 
herited thj  worst  of  his  father's  vices,  and  followed  the  ill 
example  he  had  set  him  in  the  beginning  of  his  reign. 
"  He  sacrificed  unto  all  the  carved  images  which  his  fa- 
ther had  made,  and  served  them."  Manasseh,  it  seems, 
had  failed  in  one  part  of  his  duty,  when  he  suppressed  idol- 
worship — he  neglected  to  "  burn  the  images  with  fire,"  as 
the  law  required,  *  so  that  his  son,  who  knew  where  to 
find  these  imae-es,  made  use  of  thenl  ao-ain. 

Amon  imitated  the  vices,  but  not  the  repentance  and  re- 
formation of  his  father,  in  consequence  of  which  Divine 
vengeance  pursued  him,  and  put  a  speedy  issue  to  his 
reign,  by  permitling  his  servants  to  conspire  against  and 
assassinate  him.  He  rebelled  against  God,  and  his  ovv'n 
subjects  rebelled  against  him.  Herein  God  was  righteous^ 
but  they  v/ere  wicked,  and  the  conspirators  were,  very 
justly,  put  to  death  by  the  people. 

Josiah,  the  son  of  Amon,  ascended  the  throne  at  the 
early  age  of  eight  years.  This  was  the  prince,  who  was, 
by  riame,  predioted  to  reign  over  Judah,  about  three  hun- 
dred years  before  his  birth:  for  "  a  man  of  God,"  in  the 
presence  of  Jeroboam,  at  Bethel,  made  this  public  decla- 
ration. "  O  altar,  altar,  thus  saith  the  Lord,  Behold,  a 
child  shall  be  born  unto  the  house  of  David,  Josiah  by 
name,  and  upon  thee,  shall  he  of/er  the  priests  of  the  high- 
places,  that  burn  incense  upon  thee,  and  men's  bones  shall 
be  burnt  upon  thee,"  2  Ghron.  xiii.  2. 

This  youthful  prince  gave  such  early  token^of  a  pious 
disposition,  that  the  Lord  took  him  into  his  immediate 
care,  and  he  formed  his  conduct  from  the  example  of  his 
most  pious  predecessors.  In  tlie  eighth  f  year  of  his  reign, 
he  not  only  destroyed  the  idols  and  altars  of  Baal,  but 
the  altar  at  Bethel,  and  those  that  v.ere  in  the  high- 
places,  with  all  other  things  that  tended  to  idolatry.  And 
to  shew  his  contempt  of  Bethel,  where  Jeroboam  had  set 
up  one  of  the  calf-idols,  he  sent  the  ashes  of  the  idola- 


•  Required.     Ueut.  vii.  5. 

t  Eisktb.     See  2  Chron.  xxxiv.  .^ 


B.  C.  623.  of  the  Holy  Bible.  5 

trous  things,  that  he  had  burnt,  thither.  And,  to  be  sa- 
tisfied in  a  thorough  purgation  of  the  idolatrous  worship, 
he  visited  Bethel  in  person,  where,  after  many  expres- 
sions of  zeal  for  the  service  of  the  true  God^  he  not  only- 
deposed  the  false  priests,  but  seeing  many  monuments  of 
the  dead  in  the  mount,  he  ordered  the  bones  to  be  taken 
out  of  them,  and  burnt  upon  one  of  the  altars.  But  by  the 
inscription,  discoveu'ing  the  monument  of  the  man  *  of  God 
that  came  from  Judah  to  declare  against  the  altar  at  Bethel, 
he  would  not  permit  his  remains  to  be  disturbed.  Josiah 
carried  this  reformation  throusih  all  the  cities  of  Samaria 
that  were  subject  to  the  crown  of  Judah,  And  wherever 
he  found  any  priests  of  the  Levitical  order,  who  had  sacri- 
ficed to  idols,  he  deposed  them  from  their  sacerdotal  office ; 
and  sacrificed  the  false  priests  upon  their  own  altars,  and 
burnt  their  bones  there.  How  wonderful  is  that  Divine 
prescience,  which  sees,  through  ages  to  come,  all  things 
that  shall  come  to  pass ;  and  what  a  fresh  confirmation 
must  this  fulfilment  of  the  prophecy  give  to  the  truth  of 
Revelation,  and  the  necessity  of  worshipping  Jehovah 
alone ! 

And  yet,  it  should  seem,  that  the  people  in  general, 
imbibed  but  little  of  that  zeal  by  which  their  gracious 
sovereign  was  so  eminently  distinguished.  While  Josiah 
was  diligently  engaged  in  restoring  the  true  worship,  the 
people  discovered  much  indifference  and  reluctance,  so 
that  the  exercise  of  his  royal  power  was  needful  to  com- 
pel them.  So  dangerous  are  ill  habits,  and  difEcult  to 
be  shaken  off.  Of  this  the  prophet  Jeremiah  f  heavily 
complained. 

This  pious  prince  having  so  happily  carried  on  the 
reformation  in  the  distant  parts  of  the  kingdom,  had  or- 
dered the  temple  at  Jerusalem  to  be  repaired  and  cleansed 
of  all  the  remains  of  idolatry  ;  and  having  lodged  the 
money  which  the  officers,  by  his  command,  had  collected 


*.Man,SiC.     See  1  Kings  xiii.  31.     2  Kingsxiii,  18.     lKingsxiiI.il. 
•j  yeremiah.     See  Chap.  iii.  4,  5. 


6  ^  Complete  History  B.  C.  621. 

for  ibis  work,  in  the  temple,  v/hilst  Hllkicih  the  high- 
priest  was  locking  up  the  money,  he  found  the  book  * 
of  the  law,  which  being  brought  to  the  king,  and  read 
by  Shaphan  the  chancellor  to  him,  he  rent  his  robes,  and 
immediately  commanded  Hilkiah,  and  the  princes  of  the 
kingdom,  to  go  and  inquire  of  the  Lord  for  him  and 
themselves  what  they  should  do,  lest  God's  wrath  should 
be  executed  on  them  for  th.e  wickedness  of  their  prede- 
cessors, who  had  so  Hagrantly  disobeyed  the  words  of 
the  law.  Upon  which  Hilkiah,  attended  with  the  prin- 
cipal ministers,  went  to  liujdaht  the  prophetess,  the 
■wife  of  Shallum,  %  keeper  of  the  wardrobe,  who  dwelt  in 


*  Book.  This  was  the  book  of  Deuteronomy,  or  rather  the  whole  Pentateuch, 
2  Chron.  xxxiv.  14,  which  Moses,  by  the  command  of  God,  had  laid  up  in  the 
ark.  Which  book  having  been  so  neglected  by  Manasseh  and  Amon,  it  was  look- 
ed upon  as  an  extraordinary  thing  to  find  it  in  the  temple.  For  those  two  impious 
kings  had  burnt  or  suppressed  all  the  holy  books  they  could  meet  with.  So  that 
king  Josiah,  as  yet,  had  not  the  book  of  the  law ;  for  when  Shaphan  the  chancel- 
lor read  it  before  the  king,  he  was  so  concerned  that  he  had  been  ignorant  of  it  all 
this  while,  that  in  grief  lie  rent  his  robes  :  though  some  are  of  opinion,  that  his 
grief  proceeded  from  the  heavy  judgments  pronounced  therein  against  the  trans- 
gressors of  it. 

■j-  Huldah.  She  was  a  woman  very  much  reverenced  and  esteemed  for  hef  age, 
wisdom,  and  piety  ;  as  we  read  of  other  women  before,  viz.  Deborah,  Judg.  4, 
and  Hannah  the  mother  of  Samuel,  1.  1.  c.  2.  And  therefore  there  is  no  ground 
for  thinking  it  strange,  that  at  a  time  when  there  were  men  prophets,  and  so  emi- 
nent as  Jeremiah  andZephaniah,  king  Josiali  should  send  his  ministers  to  inquire 
at  the  mouth  of  a  woman.  Besides,  asSt.Jerom,  1.2,  co)!f;-«  Pe/a^.  well  observes, 
God  in  directing  them  to  consult  a  woman  on  so  solemn  and  important  an  occasion, 
might  doit,  as  a  secret  reprehension  for  their  own  want  of  sanctity  ;  for  though 
Jeremiah  the  prophet  was  then  in  being,  and  prophesied,  yet  possibly  he  might 
be  at  some  distance  from  Jerusalem  ;  (for  as  he  observes,  ch.  i.  v.  1,  he  dwelt  at 
Anathoth,  three  miles  from  Jerusalem)  and  besides,  as  others  observe,  he  raiglit 
possibly  be  engaged  in  admonishing  and  instructing  part  of  the  ether  ten  tribes  : 
so  that  the  king,  being  impatient  to  know  what  to  do  to  avert  the  judgments 
threatened  in  the  book  of  the  law  against  the  violatcrs  of  it,  (as  tliey  all  at  that 
time  were)  took  the  speediest  way,  and,  as  it  proved,  the  best,  for  satisfaction 
in  this  case. 

\  Shallum.  The  Jews  say,  that  this  Shallum  was  the  uncle  of  Jeremiah's 
father. 


B.  C.  621.  of  the  Holy  Bible.  7 

the  college*  in  Jerusalem  :  and  havlni^  imparted  their 
business  to  her,  she  told  them,  that  the  evils  threatened 
in  the  book  of  the  law  would  soon  fall  on  the  house  ojF 
Judah  ;  but  as  to  the  king',  because  he  had  humbled  him- 
self, when  he  heard  the  judgments  denounced  against  the 
people,  he  should  die  in  peace,  and  see  none  of  the  evils 
which  God  intended  to  bring  upon  Jerusalem,  and  the 
inhabitants  of  it. 

^^lth  this  answer  they  returned  to  the  king,  who  there- 
upon assembled  the  people,  and  went  with  them  to  the 
temple  ;  ^vhere,  when  he  had  distinctly  read  to  them 
the  Vvords  of  the  book  of  the  law,  he  entered  into  a  co- 
venant to  observe  all  that  was  contained  in  it,  and  en- 
gaged all  the  people  to  stand  to  that  covenant.  Then  he 
kept  the  passover,  with  such  state  and  solemnity,  as  had 
never  been  observed  from  the  days  of  Samuelf  to  that 

time.  J 

These  transactions,  from  the  finding  the  book  of  the 
law,  to  the  keeping  the  passover,  Avere  in  the  eighteenth 
year  of  Josiah's  reign  ;  from  v.^hich  time  to  his  thirty-first 
year,   which  was  his   last,  we  have  no  account  of  him, 


*  College.  That  is,  in  the  Second  City,  near  the  second  wall  of  the  city  (for  in 
those  days  great  towns  had  three  walls.)  The  Chaldee  paraphrase  calls  this  second 
city,  a  house  of  learning,  or  school ;  and  Vatablus  says,  it  held  the  second  place  oi' 
dignity  next  to  the  temple,  and  in  which  the  prophets  and  doctors  lived  ;  others, 
that  it  was  a  school  of  profane  learning,  which  is  very  likely  at  this  time,  when 
there  were  no  books  of  the  law  in  being,  that  they  knew  of. 

-f  Samtiel.     See  2  Chron.  xxxv.  18. 

\  Time.  Ignorance  of  the  will  of  God  as  revealed  in  the  Scriptures  of  truth, 
will  ever  be  favourable  to  the  progress  of  iniquity,  for  if  the  solemn  threatenings  of 
God  against  sin  are  unknown,  there  is  no  effectual  barrier  to  restrain  men  from  it- 
It  should  therefore  be  considered  as  one  of  the  distinguishing  blessings  of  Britain, 
that  by  means  of  printing,  a  copy  of  the  Bible  maybe  procured  by  almost  ever>' 
individual ;  and  were  this  impracticable,  the  public  reading  of  the  Scriptures  in  all 
the  churches  must  preserve  all,  but  the  wilfully  irreligious,  from  absolute  ignorance 
of  the  mind  and  will  of  God. 


8  A  Complete  History  B.  C.  610. 

but   are   referred  to  the  book  of  the  kings  of  Israel  and 
Jiidah.     The  last  act  of  this  king  was  his  opposing  Necho 
king  of  Egypt,  who  marching  through  Josiah's  country 
to  attack   Carchemish,   a   place  belonging  to  the  king  of 
Babylon,*     Josiah    immediately    marched    against  him. 
The  Egyptian  king  hearing  this,  sent  ambassadors  to  de- 
sire him  to  desist.;    for  he  declared  he  came  not  to  invade 
his  territories,   but  to   do  himself  justice  on  the  king  of 
Babylon;  assuring  him  at  the  same  time,  that  what  he 
did  was  by  instruction!  from  God.     But  JosJah,  having 
so   far  advanced  v,'ith  his  army,   would  not  believe  J  the 
Egyptian  king,  for  he  did  not  know  that  this  was  of  the 
Lord,  otherwise  than  as  king  Necho  told  him,  whom,  as 
Jin  invading  enemy,  he  thought  he  was  not  bound  to  be- 
lieve :    and   therefore   resolving   to    expel  him,    he   dis- 


*  Babylon.  He  is  called  king  of  Assyria,  2  Kings  xxiii.  29,  but  that  cannot  be 
properly  meant  so  ;  for  at  that  time  Assyria  was  under  Nabopollasar,  (who  is  cal- 
led Nebuchodonosor,  senior)  king  of  Babylon,  who  was  king  of  Babylon  and 
Assyria  too.  Besides,  Asarhaddon  was  the  son  of  Sennacherib,  who  reigned 
but  ten  years  after  the  defeat  of  .his  army  by  the  angel  in  Judea,  the  last  king  pf 
Assyria,  properly  speaking.  So  that  it  was  against  Nabopollasar  that  Pharaoh 
Necho  went,  when  king  Josiah  opposed  his  passage  through  the  country. 

•|-  Instruction,  &c.  This,  as  St.  Jerome  says,  was  by  word  of  mouth  to  the  kii^g 
of  Egypt  by  Jeremiah  the  prophet,  and  that  Josiah  lost  his  life  in  that  action,  for  not 
obeyingthe  wordof  the  Lord.  Tliis  is  the  more  probable,  as  the  Lord  had  often  by 
his  prophets  admonished  kings  who  were  strangers  to  the  law. 

\  Beliejx.  It  is  not  reasonable  to  suppose,  that  Necho  king  of  Egypt  being  to 
pass  with  his  armythrough  king  Josiah's  country,  Josiah  not  understanding  his 
intent  in  this  expedition,  might  suspect  he  had  a  design  upon  him  ;  and  therefore 
went  out  \vith  an  army  to  stop  him,  being  unwilling  to  trust  a  foreign  power  in  his 
country.  But  it  is  plain,  that  by  this  unadvised  and  wilful  act  of  his,  in  going  to 
fight  with  the  king  of  Egypt,  without  any  other  cause  than  his  own  suspicion  of 
that  prince's  invading  him,  though  the  Egyptian  told  him  he  had  no  design  on  him, 
and  that  what  he  did  was  by  the  advice  of  God,  shoitened  his  own  life,  and  depri- 
ved himself  of  Jie  benefit  of  that  part  of  the  divine  promise  by  the  prophetess  liul- 
dah,  that  he  should  go  to  his  grave  in  peace,  2  Chron.  xxxiv.  28. 


B.  C.  610.  of  the  Holy  Bible.  9 

guiscd  himself,   and  in  the  valley  of  Meglddo  drew  up 
his  army  to  fight  tlie  Egyptian ;   w  ho  was  not  unprepared 
to  receive  him.     The  two  armies  engaged,  and  the  action 
grew  so  hot,  that  the  Egyptian  archers,  discovering  Josiah, 
notwithstanding  his  disguise,  plied  that  quarter  where  he 
fought  so  warmly   with   their  arrows,  that,  at  last,  one 
proved  the  messenger  of  death  to  him.     Josiah  finding 
himself  wounded,  bid  his  charioteer  drive  him  out  of  the 
field,   who    putting    him   into  another   chariot,    brought 
him  to  Jerusalem,  where  he  soon  died,  and  was  buried 
in  the  sepulchre  of  his  fathers-     The  death  of  this  excel- 
lent prince  was  lamented  by  all  his  subjects ;  but  by  none 
so  much  as  the  prophet  Jeremiah ;    who,  upon  that  oc- 
casion, composed  the  greatest  part  of  that  mournful  song, 
which  is  called  "  The  Lamentations  of  Jeremiah,"  wherein 
he  foretold  the  miseries  that  would  fall  upon  the    peo- 
ple after  the  death  of  Josiah.     And  in  so  great  a  venera- 
tion was  the  memory  of  this  good  king  held,  that  upon  all 
mournful  occasions  afterwards,  the  singing  men  and  wo- 
men w^ere  obliged  to  commemorate  the  untimely    death 
of  good   king  Josiah :    wliich   lasted   an   hundred   years 
after,  even  to  the  prophet  Zechariah's  *  time.     Though 
this   Monarch   had  endeavoured    by  his  own  pious   ex- 
ample, by  wholesome  advice,  pressing  instances,  threat- 
enings  and  force,  to  reclaim  his  people ;  yet  the  Lord,  who 
well  knew  the  obstinacy  of  their  nature,  before  Josiah's 
death,   declared, t    he   would   remove^  Judah   out   of  his 
sight,  as  he  had  done  Israel,  (who  was  now  in  captivitv) 
and  would  reject  the  city  of  Jerusalem,  which  he  had  for- 
merly chosen,  and  the  temple  in  which  he  said,  that  his 
name  should  remain.  '.\^ 


•  Zechariah.  Who  remembered  it,  by  comparing  the  mourning  which  he 
then  prophesied  should  in  after  times  be  in  Jerusalem,  to  the  mourning  of  Ha- 
dadrimmon,  in  the  valley  of  Megiddo,  which  was  the  place  where  Josiah  re- 
ceived his  mortal  wound. 

•f-  Declared.  See  2  Kings  xxiii.  26,  27.  From  hence  It  is,  that  the  pro- 
phets of  that  time  complained  so  grievously  of  the  people,  and  denounced  the 

Vol.  IL  B 


10  A  Complete  History  B.  C.  610. 

The  prophet  Nahiim,  the  Elkeshite,  (so  called  in  the 
title  of  his  prophecy,  either  because  he  was  of  tlie  town 
of  Elkcsha,  in  t!ie  tribe  of  Judah,  or  that  it  was  the  name 
of  his  fimily)  is  supposed  to  have  lived  and  prophesied 
about  this  time.  It  is  certain  he  prophesied  after  the  cap- 
tivity of  tl^.e  ten  tribes,  and  before  that  of  Judah ;  which 
last  he  foretold  in  his  iirst  chapter,  and  the  destruction 
of  Nineveh  in  those  that  follow.  Tremellius  and  Junius 
refer  him  to  the  latter  part  of  Josiah's  reign.  Which 
seems  the  more  likely,  as  being  nearer  to  the  destruction 
of  Nineveh,  and  the  Assyrian  monarchy,  to  which  Na- 
hum's  prophecy  more  particularly  related.  Nor  did  this 
piophet  only  prophesy  against  Nineveh,  but  the  prophet 
Zephaniiih  also,  who  began  to  prophesy  in  the  days  of 
Josiah  king  of  Judah,  Zeph.  i.  1,  and  prophesied  directly 
a2:ninst  x\ssyria  in  e'eneral,  and  of  the  destruction  of  Ni- 
neveh  in  p  irticular,  ch.  ii.  v.  13,  &c. 

And  now  we  are  SDeakinc;  of  the  time  in  which  some 
of  the  prophets  lived,  it  may  not  be  amiss  to  inform  the 
reader  of  the  reason  why  their  writings  are  misplaced  :  for 
in  the  Bible  they  are  not  arranQ:ed  accordino-  to  the  order 
of  time  in  which  they  delivered  them.  This  is  suj)pGscd 
to  have  h;!ppened  through  the  negligence  of  the  priests 
in  those  davs,  \\'ho  had  the  charge  of  registering  and 
keeping  them.  For  the  manner  was,  when  any  prophet 
had  written  a-  prophecy,  he  caused  it  to  be  fixed  to  the 
gHte  of  the  temple,  where  it  remained  for  certain  days^ 
that  all  might  read  and  take  notice  of  it.  And  after  it 
had  stood  there  the  ap])oi!ited  time,  the  priests  took  it 
ir.to  the  temple  to  record  it  in  a  book  ;  but  for  want  of 
due  care  to  enter  thtm  in  course,  as  thev  were  written, 


judgments  of  the  Lord  against  them  ;  even  to  the  destruction  of  their  city,  and 
their  own  captivity:  as  did  Jeremiah  in  the  fourth,  fifili,  sixth,  fourteenth, 
fifteenth,  sixteenth,  nineteenth,^  and  tv.  entieth  chapters  of  tliis  prophecy,  and  the 
prophet  Zephaiii:ih  in  his.  With  whom  may  be  joined  the  projihet  Habakkuk, 
who  is  supposed  to  have  lived  in  the  latter  part  of  Josiali's  reign,  or  under  his 
son's,  a  little  before  their  captivity  by  the  Chaldeans,  which  he  foretold,  Hab.  i. 
from  V.  5  to  12. 


B.  C.  610.  of  the  Holy  Bible.  11 

the}'  left  them  in  that  disorderly  manner,  in  which  we 
now  have  them.  But  besides  that,  it  must  he  considered, 
that  several  of  the  prophets,  especially  Jeremiah,  Ezekiel 
and  Daniel,  wrote  in  very  troublesome  tinies ;  Kzekiel 
and  Daniel,  when  in  captivity  at  Bab\  Ion  ;  and  Jeremiah, 
A\hen  all  thino-s  both  in  Church  and  state  were  in  the 
greatest  confusion  and  disorder  at  Jerusalem  ;  and  the 
iirst  copy  of  his  book  was  destroyed  by  king  Jehoiakim, 
Jer.  xxxvi.  23,  so  that  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at,  that 
they  are  so  misplaced,  but  rather  ought  thankfully  to  be 
acknowledged,  that  we  have  them  at  all.  The  account  of 
time  also,  and  computation  of  years,  wherein  some  great 
^•vents  took  place,  and  aVe  mentioned  by  the  prophets,  are 
so  differently  related,  that  it  is  difficult,  and,  sometimes, 
scarcely  ]:)Ossible  to  reduce  them  to  a  certainty. 

Upon  the  death  of  Josiah,  his  son  Jehoahaz  was  pro- 
claimed and  anointed  king ;  but  his  reign  was  short,  last- 
ing but  three  months  :  for  the  king  of  Egypt  improving 
his  victory  at  Megiddo,"  deposed  Jehoahaz,  and  set  up 
Eiiakim,  Jehoahaz's  elder  brother,  changing  his  name  to 
Jehoiakim.  Then  making  the  crown  of  Judah  tributary 
to  Egypt,  he  obliged  the  country  to  pay  him  a  hundred 
talents  of  silver,  and  one  of  gold  ;  w  hich  money  Jehoiakim 
raised  by  a  general  tax  upon  the  land,  rating  every  man 
according  to  his  ability.  * 

Jehoahaz  being  deposed,  the  king  of  Egypt  loaded 
him  vvdth  irons,  and  left  him  at  Riblah,  a  city  of  Syria, 
while  he  pursued  his  expedition  against  the  Assyrians, f 
and  afterwards,  at  his  return  he  took  him  along  with  him 
to  Egypt,  where  he  soon  died. J     And  now  Jehoiakim 


*  Ability.  See  2  Kings  xxiii.  35.  I»  is  very  probable  the  prophet  Jeremiah 
had  regard  to  this  taxation,  when  in  his^  mournful  complaint  be  said  of  Jerusalem, 
"  She  that  was  great  among  the  nations,  and  princess  among  the  provinces,  how 
is  she  become  tributary  !"  Lam.  i.  1. 

•f-  Assyrian,  or  rather  Babylonian,  as  we  have  observed  in  our  note  on  the 
•word  Babylon  in  a  preceding  page. 

:j:  Died.  This  the  prophet  Jeremiah  foretold,. ch.  xxii.  v.  10,  11,  12,  where  he 
fcids  the  king  and  people  of  Judah,  "  not  weep  for  the  dead,  (meaning  Josiah) 


12  A  Complete  History  B.  C.  609. 

being  placed  on  the  throne  of  Judah  b}^  Pharaoh  Necho, 
king  of  Egypt,  instead  of  taking  warning  by  the  manifest 
jiidgnnents  which  God  had  inflicted  on  his  predecessors, 
imitates  them  in  the  worst  of  their  wicked  actions ;  not- 
withstanding which,  though  he  deserved  immediate  pu- 
nishment, God  in  mercy,  to  reclaim  him  and  his  people, 
sent  his  servant,  the  prophet  Jeremiah,  to  admonish  and 
exhort  them  to  repentance,  and  assure  them,  that  if  they 
persisted  in  their  wicked  way  of  living,  he  would  make 
the  temple  like  the  house  of  Shiloh,*  and  the  city  of  Je- 
rusalem a  cursef  to  all  nations.  This  so  enraged  the 
priests  and  false  prophets,  that  they  caused  the  people  to 
seizej  Jeremiah,  and  brought  him  before  the  princes  of 
Judah  in  the  temple,  who  were  so  far  from  pronouncing 
the  sentence  of  death  against  him,  as  the  priests  and 
false  prophets  had  done  already,  that  they  unanimously 
acquitted  him,  saying,  "  This  man  is  not  worthy  of 
."  death,  for  he  hath  spoken  to  us  in  the  name  of  the 
*'  Lord  our  God."  And  to  confirm  this  their  judgment, 
they  urged  as  a  precedent,  the  prophet  Micah,  who  pre- 
dicted the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  before  king  Heze- 
kiah  with  impunity.  To  balance  which,  they  urged  a 
later  precedent  of  one  Urijah,  a  prophet  of  the  Lord, 
who  for  prophesying  against  the  city  and  Avhole  land 
was  by  king  Jehoiakim  put  to  death.  But  it  pleased  God 
to  raise  up  for  Jeremiah  a  powerful  friend  in  the  person 
of  Ahikam,  one  of  the  king's  counsellors,  who  protected 
him  from  the  malice  of  the  priests,  and  rage  of  the  peo- 


but  fov  him  that  goeth  away,  for  he  shall  return  no  more,  nor  see  his  native 
country."  For,  said  he,  "  Thus  saith  the  Lord  concerning  Shallum  (which  was 
the  right  nameof  Jehoahaz,  Jar.  xxii.  11.)  the  son  of  Josiah,  king  of  Judah,  who 
reigned  instead  of  Josiah  his  father,  and  who  went  forth  out  of  this  place,  he  shall 
not  return  hither  any  more." 

*  Shiloh.    The  place  where  the  ark  had  abode  more  than  three  hundred  years  ; 
yet  he  had  given  it  up  to  utter  destruction. 

f  Curse.     Or,  rather  a  pattern  for  cursing. 

\  Seiza.  See  Jeremiah  xxvi,  8. 


B.  C.  CC6.  of  the  Hal u  Bible.  13 

pie.     He  being  thus  secured  by  this  good  man  Ahikam, 
A\cnton  more  boldly  in  the  work  of  the  Lord. 

Soon  after  Jchoiukim  was  made  king,  Nebuchadnezzar, 
king  of  Babylon  and  Assyria,  to  re\enge  the  late  expe- 
dition of  Pharaoh  Necho  king  of  Kgypt  against  Car- 
chemish,  having  gathered  a  large  army,  attacked  the 
king  of  Egypt  there,  and  routed  him,  taking  from  him 
all  the  country  that  lies  between  the  river  Euphrates  * 
and  the  Nile.  After  which  he  made  an  easy  conquest  of 
Jiidah  ;  for  he  besieged  Jerusalem,  and  took  it,  and  car- 
ried the  king  and  part  of  the  vessels  of  the  temple  to 
Babylon.  \Vhere,  alter  he  had  continued  a  prisoner  for 
some  time,  he  restored  f  him  to  his  crown,  on  condition 
that  he  should  become  tributary  to  him.  In  the  fourth 
year  of  his  reign,  Jeremiah  delivered  another  message 
from  the  Lord  to  the  inhabitants  of  Judah  and  Jerusalem ; 
in  whiich  he  positively  assured  them  that  since  no  admoni- 
tions and  warnings  would  affect  them,  the  Lord  would 
bring  Nebuchadnezzar  his  servant,  |  with  all  the  northern 
nations  that  were  subject  to  him,  against  the  land  of  Ju- 
dah, and  the  city  of  Jerusalem,  and  would  make  them 


•  Euphrates.     See  2  Kings  xxiv.  7. 

•f  Restored.  This  is  not  expressly  mentioned  in  the  Holy  Scripture,  yet  some 
passages  give  a  hint  that  way  :  and  as  it  is  the  common  opinion,  so  it  may  some- 
\vhat  help  to  make  out  the  time  of  his  reign,  and  give  more  room  for  the  prophe- 
cies that  belong  to  it,  whicli  are  many,  for  he  reigned  eleven  years.  At  this  time, 
and  also  with  him,  it  is  thought,  (and  with  great  reason,)  that  the  prophet  Dan- 
iel, with  his  three  companions,  Hananiah,  Mishael,  and  Azariah,  (who  were 
Shadrach,  Meshach,  and  Abednego)  were  carried  to  Babylon,  Dan.  i.  vi.  For 
Daniel,  ch.i.  v.  1,  says,  when  Nebuchadnezzar  took  Jehoiakim,  and  the  vessels 
of  the  temple,  he  spake  unto  Ashpenaz,  the  master  of  the  Eunuchs,  that  he  should 
bring  with  him  to  Babylon  some  of  the  children  of  Israel,  of  the  seed  of  the  king, 
and  of  the  princes,  such  as  were  well-favoured,  and  without  blemish;  of  good 
parts,  and  well  educated  ;  that  being  instructed  in  the  language  and  learning  of 
the  Chaldeans,  they  might  be  fit  to  serve  the  king  in  his  palace :  and  that  the  Eu- 
nuch in  consequence  made  choice  of  those  four,  Dan.  i.  3,  4,  6, 

\  Servant.     See  Jeremiah,  xxv.  9. 


14  J  Complete  History  B.  C.  603. 

serve  the  king  of  Babylon  seventy  *  years.  Yet  to  let 
them  see  that  he  would  not,  even  then,  give  them  quite 
up,  he  told  tb.eni  that  at  the  expiration  of  the  seventy 
years  he  would  punish  the  Assyrians  and  Chaldeans,  and 
all  the  other  nations  that  had  a&licted  them,  for  their  ini- 
quities. 

Jehoiakim,  having  continued  three  years  in  subjection 
to  Nebuchadnezzar,  in  the  fourth,  refused  any  longer 
submission  to  him.  Upon  which,  Nebuchadnezzar  or- 
dered Mm  to  be  attacked  by  some  Chaldean  troops,  joined 
by  the  Syrians,  Moabites,  and  Ammonites.  This  war 
lasted  some  time,  during  which  God  frequently  admo- 
ni'ihed  Jehoiakim  and  his  people,  by  various  means,  to 
return  to  their  duty.  The  first  of  v.hich  was  this  :  the  ap- 
proach of  Nebuchadnezzar's  army  having  driven  the  Re- 
chubitesf  fro!.j  tiieir  habitation,  they  fled  to  Jerusalem 
for  safety.  The  Lord  intending  by  these  to  convince 
and  reprove  Jehoiakim  and  the  Jews,  he  commanded  Je- 
remiah the  proj^het  to  bring  them  into  an  apartment  in 
the  temple,  arid  to  offer  them  wine  ;  v/hich  they  refused, 
alkdging  that  it  was  contraiy  to  their  institution,  which 
they  had  hitherto  religiously  observed  The  prophet 
commended  their  obedience,  and  promised  them  a  re- 
ward iroin  God ;  and  applying  this  to  the  Jews,  he  re- 
proached them,  who  were  the  peculiar  people  of  the 
Lord,  for  beisig  less  obedient  to  him,  than  tiie  poor  Re- 
chabites  were  to  the  appointment  of  their  ancestor.  But 
this  method  not  having  the  intended  effect,  the  Lord 
commanded  Jeremiah  to  make  a  book,  and  to  write  in  it 
all  the  prophecies  which  the  Lord  had  given  him  against 
Isrc.ei  and  Judah,  from  his  bepinninq*  to  prouhecy ;  in 
order  to  see  if  the  Jews,  upon  hearing  all  the  judgments 
suranud  up  together  against  them  for  their  disobedience, 


*  Seventy.     Seejeremiahxxv.il. 

f  Secbabhes.  They  were  the  posterity  of  Rechab,  who  came  from  Jethro,  or 
Hcbah,  the  Kenite,  and  by  '^iie  institution  of  Jonadab  their  founder,  were  obliged 
to  buiid  r.o  houses,  but  to  dwell  in  tents,  and  to  drink  no  wine. 


B.  C.  603.  of  the  Ilohj  Bible,  15 

uould  return  to  tlicir  duty,  tlKit  he  miglit  forgive  thcni. 
In  compliance  witli  this  command,  Jeremiah  employed 
Baruch  as  his  Amaiuiensis,  to  urite  what  he  should  dic- 
tate to  him ;  and  v\  hen  it  was  finished,  tlie  prophet  or- 
dered Baruch  to  take  it,  and  because  he  was  shut*  up, 
that  he  might  not  enter  into  the  house  of"  the  Lord,  to 
go  and  read  it  to  the  people  in  the  temple  upon  the 
Fast-day.  f  Baruch  pursues  his  instructions,  and  going 
to  the  temple,  read  what  he  had  wiiiten  in  the  book. 
This  \yas  done  in  Gemariah's  apartment,  and  afterwards 
in  the  secretary's  office,  before  all  the  piinces  ;  who  be- 
ing satisfied  that  what  Baruch  read  w  as  the  prophet  Jeremi- 
ah's inditing,  they  advised  him  and  Baruch  to  withdraw  to 
some  place  of  security,  till  they  knew  the  king's  pleasure 
concerning  the  book.  They  then  secured  the  book  iri 
the  secretary's  ofiice,  and  went  and  informed  the  king  of 
what  they  had  heard.  Upon  which,  sending  Jehudi,  one 
of  his  attendants,  for  it,  he  commanded  him  to  read  it: 
but  he  had  not  proceeded  far  in  it,  when  the  king,  im- 
patient  at  the  judgments  that  threatened   him,  look  the 


*  Shut  up.  It  is  uncertain  what  the  prophet  meant  here,  (Jeremiah  xxxvi.  v. 
5,)  by  saying,  "  He  was  shut  up."  Some  say  he  was  shut  up  in  prison  by  the 
malice  of  the  priests,  who,  no  doubt,  were  malicious  enough  to  do  so :  but  the 
contrary  appears  from  v.  19,  where  the  princes  advised  him  and  Baruch  to  hide 
themselves,  which  they  did,  v.  26.  Tremellius  and  Junius  suppose  three  ways  of 
his  being  shut  up,  and  leave  us  to  take  which  of  the  three  we  like  best.  The  first 
i  s  that  the  king  had  forbidden  him  to  go  into  the  temple  to  speak  to  the  people  : 
but  the  prophets  of  God  did  not  use  to  observe  such  prohibitions  of  their  pro- 
phetic ministry.  The  second  is,  that  the  chief  priests  had  excommunicated  him, 
and  therefore  he  might  not  go.  But  that,  in  all  probability,  he  would  have  less 
regarded,  for  the  same  reason.  The  third  is,  that  God,  to  provide  for  the  safety 
of  his  prophet,  and  to  punish  the  people,  would  not  let  him  go  amongst  thera. 
This  of  the  three  seems  the  most  probable,  and  so  his  being  sliut  up  was  by  a  re- 
straint in  his  spirit  or  mind. 

■\  Fast-Day.  .  This,  it  seems,  was  a  Fast  of  their  own  appointmg,  as  was 
usual  when  chey  feared  w3t,  or  any  great  plague  from  God,  as  now  they  did  by 
the  Babylonians; 


^^^ 


16  A  Complete  History  B.  C.  59a. 

book  out  of  his  hand,  iind  cut  it  into  pieces,  and,  not- 
Avithstanding  the  importunity  of  some  of  the  first  per- 
sons of  his  court,  he  threw  it  into  the  fire,  where  it  was 
burned.  And  to  shew  his  want  of  penitence,  he  dis- 
patched officers  to  apprehend  the  prophet  Jeremiah  and 
his  amanuensis,  Barucii ;  but  Providence  had  secured 
them.  iThis  wilful  act  of  Jehoiakim,  in  burning  the  roll, 
so  provoked  the  Lord,  that  he  commanded  the  prophet 
to  pro\  icle  another,  and  write  the  same  Avords  in  it  that 
/  were  in  the  first,  with  this  addition,  that  Jehoiakim  should 
have  none  to  sit  on  the  throne  of  David,  and  that  his 
dead  body  should  be  cast  out,  in  the  day  to  the  heat,  and 
in  the  night  to  the  frost,  and  that  he  would  bring  upon 
the  inhabitants  of  Judah  all  the  evils  pronounced  against 
them.  And  to  let  him  see  that  God  was  in  earnest,  he 
permitted  this  obstinate  prince  to  fall  into  the  hand  of 
Nebuchadnezzar,  who  put  him  in  irons,  intending  to 
have  carried  him  to  Babvlon,  if  he  had  not  died  on  the 
way. 

To  Jehoiakim  succeeded  his  son  Jehoiakin,  *  a  youth 
of  about  ei;i^hteen  years  of  age  :  who  treading  in  the 
steps  of  his  wicked  father,  the  Lord  sent  him  his  doom 
by  the  prophet  Jeremiah,  f  which  was  soon  executed 
upon  him;  for  in  the  fourth  month  of  iiis  reign,  Nebu- 
chadnezzar having  conceived  some  ill  suspicion  of  this 
young  prince,  who  was  viciously  inclined,  came  and  be- 
sieged Jerusalem  in  person,  at  the   head  of  a  powerful 


•  yeholakin.  In  1  Chron.  iii.  16,  he  is  called  Jechoniah.  In  2  Chron.  xxxvi. 
9,  he  is  said  to  be  but  eightyears  old  when  he  began  to  reign,  and  in  2  Kings  xxiv. 
8,  he  is  said  to  be  eighteen.  The  latter  is  the  most  reasonable,  because  ot  the 
message  which  God  sent  to  him  by  the  prophet  Jeremiah,  which  he  would  scarce 
have  done  to  a  child  of  eight  years  old.  And  as  to  the  book  of  Chronicles  saying 
he  was  eight  years  old,  it  must  be  supposed  that  his  father  had  created  him  his 
partner  in  the  kingdom  at  eight  years  of  age,  out  of  jealousy,  ihat  if  he  (Jehoia- 
kim) should  die,  and  leave  his  son  yoimg,  his  brother  Mattaniah  jnight  take  the 
advantage  of  his  childhood,  and  put  him  by  the  crown. 

•f  yeremiab.     See  ch.  xxii.  v,  24. 


B.  C.  598.  of  the  Holy  Bible.  17 

army.  Jehoiakin  finding  himself  too  weak  to  defend  the 
place,  surrendered  himself,  his  njothcr,  his  princes,  ofli- 
cers,  and  servants,  to  the  king  of  Babylon,  who  carried 
them  all  away  prisoners,  taking  with  them  all  the  treasure 
of  the  temple  and  the  royal  palace,  and  all  the  useful 
artificers  ;  leaving  none  but  the  poorest  sort  of  people 
behind. 

The  conqueror  having  thus  disposed  of  the  captives, 
above  seven  thousand  in  number,  substituted  to  Jehoi- 
akin his  uncle  Mattaniah,  the  third  son  of  good  king 
Josiah,  whose  name  he  changed  to  Zedekiah,  who  though 
he  had  seen  the  ruin  of  his  two  brothers,  Jehoahaz  and 
Jehoiakim,  and  of  his  nephew  Jehoiakin,  yet  persisting 
in  their  wicked  ways,  God  sent  the  prophet  Jeremiah  to 
admonish  him,  who  related  to  him  the  vision*  of  the 
two  baskets  of  figs,  the  one  good,  and  the  other  naught. 
By  the  first,  representing  the  captivity  of  those  that 
were  in  Babylon,  which  being  limited  to  a  time,  was  for 
the  good  of  their  posterity  :  the  latter,  the  condition  of 
Zedekiah,  and  those  that  remained  in  the  land  of  Judah, 
all  which  the  Lord  threatened  to  deliver  up  to  their  ene- 
mies, and  to  make  them  a  reproach  and  curse  in  all  places  ; 
adding,  that  the  Lord  would  send  the  sword,  famine,  and 
pestilence,  among  them,  till  they  were  consumed. 

In  the  reign  of  Jehoiakim,  the  prophet  Jeremitih,t  by 
God's  command,  had  made  bonds  and  yokes,  and  put  them 
upon  his  neck  in  token  of  the  bondage  with  which  the 
Lord  had  threatened  Judah,  and  other  nations  ;  and  now 
he  was  commanded  to  send  the  bonds  and  yokes  to  the 
kings  of  Edom,  Moab,  Ammon,  Tyre,  and  Zidon,  to  let 
them  know  ihat  God  had  given  their  countries  to  Nebu- 
chadnezzar, king  of  Babylon,  his  servant,^  and  to  warn 
them  of  their  idolatry,  and  to  submit  to  him.  But  to  Ze- 
dekiah, king  of  Judah,  the  prophet  went  in  person,  and 
advised   him  to  submit  to  the   king  of  Babylon,  and  not 


*  Vision.     See  Jeremiah  xxiv.  1,  &c.  -f  yeremiab.    See  ch.  xxvii.  v.  2. 

I  Servant.  See  Jeremiah  xxvii>  6, 

Vol.  XL  C 


18  A  Complete  His  fort/  B.  C.  597. 

to  believe  tlie  false  prophets,  who  flattered  him  with 
hopes  of  Judah's  recovering  her  former  state,  and  fore- 
told the  destruction  of  Babylon.  Among  these  was  Ha- 
iianiah,  who  gave  Jeremiah  much  trouble  :  however, 
when  the  Lord  commanded  him,  he  readily  went  on  his 
prophetic  ministry.  And  taking  the  opportunity  of  Ze- 
dekiah's  sending  an  embassy  to  Babylon,  he  sent  a  letter 
to  the  captive  priests  and  people,  to  admonish  them,  that 
their  captivity  was  for  their  benefit,  and  that  their  poste- 
rity should  return  ;  but  that  God  would  severely  judge 
those  that  were  left  at  Jerusalem,  both  king  and  people, 
with  sword,  pestilence,  and  famine,  and  afterwards  deliver 
them  upto  their  enemies,  to  be  a  reproach  and  curse  among 
all  nations. 

Upon  the  receipt  of  this  letter,  Shemaiah,  a  popular 
man  among  the  captive  Jews  at  Babylon,  took  upon  him 
to  write  to  Zephaniah,  who  was  next  in  place  to  Seraiah 
the  high- priest  at  Jerusalem,  and  to  the  rest  of  the  priests 
there,  representing  Jeremiah  as  a  madman,  and  a  pro- 
phet of  his  o\vn  making,  and  advising  them  to  confine 
him.  Jeremiah  hearing  this  letter  of  Shemaiah  read,  was 
cotnmanded  by  God  to  send  again  to  the  captives  of  Ba- 
bylon, to  let  them  know  that  the  Lord  would  punish 
Shemaiah  and  his  posterity,  because  he  had  prophesied 
falsely  to  them.  And  to  warn  those  who  still  remained 
at  Jerusalem,  God  commanded  Jeremiah  to  shew  them 
by  the  emblem*  of  the  potter's  bottle,  that  it  was  in  his 
power  to  destroy  the  despisers  of  his  word.  But  notwith- 
standing this,  and  the  threats  of  the  Lord  by  his  pro- 
phets, they  desperately  resolvef  to  go  on  in  their  own 
ways,  and  plot  against  Jeremiah,  abusing  him  with  words 
and  blows,  and  putting  him  into  the  stocks. 

About  this  time  was  EzekielJ  called  to  the  office  of  a 
prophet,  and  made  to  see  the  visions  of  God.     He  having 


•  Emblem.     See   Jeremiah  xviii.  f  Resolve.     See  Jer.  xviii.  12,  18. 

I  Ezekitl.    He  was  a  priest,  and  carried  to  Babylon  among  the  captives  of 
Jehoiakim.  ^ 


B.  C.   597.  ojthe  Hohj  Bible.  19 

been  instructed  and  encouraged  in  the  service  of  God,  by 
the  glorious  discoveries*  made  to  him,  prophesied  the 
same  things  at  Babylon  tliat  Jeremiah  did  at  Jerusalem  ; 
which  confirming  Jeremiah's  prophecies,  was  a  great  com- 
fort to  him.  Thus  did  these  two  great  prophets  visit  the 
people  with  several  warnings,  endeavouring,  by  very  sig- 
nificant emblems,  and  direct  prophecies,  to  reclaim  them. 
But  they  still  persisting  in  their  obstinacy  and  disobedience, 
God  brought  upon  them  those  judgments  he  had  so  often 
by  his  prophets  threatened,  and  which  Zedekiah's  impiety 
hastened  :  for  he  revolting,  in  the  ninth  year  of  his  reign, 
from  Nebuchadnezzar,  who  had  made  him  king,  pro- 
^•oked  the  haughty  monarch  to  march  with  a  vast  army, 
and  besiege  Jerusalem.  /Where  we  will  leave  the  Jews, 
and  look  back  a  little  to  an  action  which  happened  in  ano- 
ther part  of  the  kingdom  of  Judah,  wherein  Bethulia  owed 
its  deliverance  to  the  policy  and  courage  of  the  heroine 
Judith,  t 


•  JDiscoveries.     See  Ezekiel  i.  2,  3,  4,  5,  8. 

f  yuditb.  Some  modem  critics  have  endeavoured  to  make  the  history  of  Judith 
pass  for  an  allegory  ;  but  it  has  nothing  of  the  air  of  fiction  or  parable.  Both  Jews 
and  the  ancient  Christians  looked  upon  it  as  a  true  history,  though  the  former 
have  not  placedit  among  their  canonical  books.  The  author  is  not  certainly  known ; 
but  it  is  very  probable  that  it  was  composed  during  the  captivity,  because  it  was 
written  in  the  Chaldaic  tongue.  The  original,  from  which  were  made  the  Greek 
versions,  quoted  by  the  fathers,  and  the  Latin,  done  by  St.Jerom,  are  lost.  As 
to  the  time,  it  is  most  certain  that  it  was  before  the  burning  of  Jerusalem  and  the 
temple,  and  after  the  captivity  in  Jehoiakim's  days  ;  which  appears  froin  Judith 
iv.  3,  where  it  is  said,  "  They  were  newly  returned  from  the  captivity,"  which 
must  be  that  in  Jehoiakim's  tinie,  for  that  in  Zedekiah's  continued  seventy  years, 
before  which  Nebuchadnezzar,  king  of  Babylon,  had  subdued  Arphaxad,  king  of 
the  Medes,  and  demolished  Ecbatane.  This  Arphaxad,  probabiy,  was  Phrartes, 
or  Aphraartes,  who,  as  Herodotus  tells  us,  was  defeated  by  the  Assyrians  (who 
were  then  subject  to  the  king  of  Babylon)  and  perished  with  his  army.  Which 
agrees  with  what  is  said  in  the  first  chapter  of  Judith,  that  Arphaxad  was  over- 
come by  Nebuchadnezzar,  who  returned  to  Nineveh,  which  was  the  capital  of 
the  kingdom  of  Assyria.    Bijt  to  come  more  precisely  to  the  time  of  Holofem^s, 


20  A  Complete  History  B.  C.  596. 

Nebuchadnezzar,  king  of  Babylon  and  Nineveh,  hav- 
ing  defeated  and  taken  Arphaxad,  king  of  the  Me'des, 
proposed  to  himself  to  subdue  the  nations  of  Asia  to  the 
westward  :  on  which  expedition  he  sent  his  general  Ho- 
lofernes  with  a  mighty  army,  who,  spreading  terror  in 
all  parts,  made  himself  master  of  Mesopotamia,  Syria, 
J^ibya,  and  Cilicia,  which  voluntarily  submitted  to  him. 
After  these  conquests  he  turned  his  arms  to  the  country 
qf  Edom,  where  he  found  as  little  resistance.  The  Is- 
raelites taking  the  alarm,  gathered  what  forces  they  had, 
possessed  themselves  of  the  mountains,  and  fortified  their 
towns.  Holofernes,  surprised  that  they  should  think  of 
opposing  his  array,  enquired  of  the  Moabites  and  Am- 
monites what  strength  that  people  had,  and  what  motive 
could  induce  them  to  stand  out?  Achior,  chief  of  the 
Ammonites,  in  a  few  words  told  him  the  history  of  that 
nation ;  and  having  informed  him  how  they  had  been 
sometimes  protected,  and  sometimes  abandoned  by  their 
God,  concluded,  that  if  they  had  offended  their  God,  he 
would  deliver  them  into  his  hands ;  but  if  they  had  not, 
their  God  would  defend  them,  and  that  all  his  army  would 
not  be  able  to  subdue  them.  Holofernes  hearing  this 
iiccount,  with  great  indignation  caused  Achior  to  be  sent 
into  Bcthulia,    which  he   besieged,  intending  to  destroy 


king  Nebuchadnezzar's  general,  in  the  second  chapter  of  Judith  it  is  positively- 
said,  that  Nebuchadnezzar  put  his  general  on  this  expedition  in  the  first  month  of 
the  eighteenth  year  of  his  reign,  which  was  the  ninth  year  of  Zedekiah,  king  of 
Judah  ;  so  that  the  defeat  of  Holofernes  and  the  siege  of  Jerusalem  happened  in 
the  same  year,  though  it  must  be  supposed  that  the  expedition  against  Bethulia 
was  in  the  beginning  of  the  year,  and  the  siege  at  the  end  of  it ;  for  we  read  ii^ 
the  fifteenth  of  Judith,  that  Joakim  the  priest,  with  the  elders,  caine  from  Jeru- 
Ealem  to  salute  Judith,  and  she  returned  to  Jerusalem  with  them  to  give  thanks, 
which  could  not  be  in  the  time  of  a  siege.  As  for  the  Bethulians  enjoying  peace 
during  Judith's  life,  irmaybe  supposed  that  Nebuchadnezzar  being  employed  two 
years  ia  the  si«:gt,  of  Jerusali.m,  might  spend  some  years  in  reducing  other  parts  of 
the  country  ;  and  Bcthulia  being  a  place  naturally  strong,  as  situated  in  the  moun- 
tainous part  of  the  country,  he  was  unwilling  to  weary  his  army  befojre  it,  or  make 
any  attempt  on  it,  till  he  had  subdued  the  rest. 


B.  C.  592.  of  the  Holy  Bible.  21 

liim  w  hen  it  was  taken.  The  inhabitants  of  Bcthulia 
seeing  the  number  of  the  enemy,  began  to  be  alarmed, 
and  were  so  pressing  \vith  Ozias  the  governor  of  the 
place,  that  to  quiet  them,  he  promised  to  surrender  the 
town,  if  in  five  days  they  were  not  relieved.  But  that 
which  pressed  them  most  was  the  want  of  water,  for 
otherwise  the  town,  by  reason  of  its  high  situation,  was 
inaccessible.  This  want  of  water  was  occasioned  by  the 
advice  of  the  Idumeans  and  others,  whom  Holofernes  had 
subdued,  who  told  him  there  was  no  way  of  reducing  the 
place,  but  by  cutting  off  the  water  at  the  foot  of  the 
mountains,  which  supplied  them.  This  advice  Holo- 
fernes, pursued,  which  made  Ozias  the  governor,  in  des- 
pair, promise  the  people  he  Avould  hold  out  no  longer  than 
live  days. 

At  that  time  there  dwelt  in  Bethulia  a  woman  named 
Judith,  as  eminent  for  virtue  and  piety  as  for  the  great 
wealth  and  possessions  her  husband  had  left  her.  She, 
hearing  what  the  governor  had  done  to  quiet  the  people, 
sent  for  him  and  the  leading  men  of  the  city,  and  in  their 
presence  reproved  him  for  it,  assuring  them  that  God,  by 
her,  would  find  out  an  expedient  to  deliver  them ;  but 
enjoined  them  not  to  enquire  into  her  project,  for  she 
declared  she  would  not  inform  them.  Upon  this  they  left 
her,  wishing  her  good  success.  Judith  was  sensible  of 
the  charms  of  her  person,  for  she  was  very  beautiful, 
and  with  these  she  proposed  to  captivate  and  betray  the 
proud  general.  Having  therefore  addressed  herself  in 
prayer  to  God,  she  adds  all  the  embellishments  of  art 
and  dress,  and  attended  only  by  her  maid,  makes  the 
best  of  her  way  to  the  Assyrian  camp.  Being  come  to 
the  out-guard,  she  was  stopped,  and  asked  who,  and 
whence  she  was  ?  She  told  them,  she  was  a  Hebrew  who 
had  fled  from  her  countrymen  for  protection,  because 
she  was  sensible  that  her  fate  was  near.  Her  dress  and 
beauty  commanded  respect,  and  they  immediately  pro- 
vided a  chariot  lor  her  and  her  maid,  and  a  guard  of  a 
hundred  choice  men  to  conduct  her  to  the  general's  tent. 
Where  being  arrived,  and  waiting  without  the  tent,  till 
the  general  was  ready  to  receive  her,   the  officers  and 


22  A  Complete  History  B.  C.  592. 

soldiers  with  much  pleasure  surveyed  and  admired  her 
beauty.  Being  introduced,  Holofernes  met  her  at  the 
tent-door,  and  seating  himself  under  a  rich  canopy  of 
state,  he  assured  her  of  his  protection,  and  desired  an 
account  of  the  cause  of  her  visit.  After  due  respect 
paid  to  the  presence  of  so  great  a  person,  she  expressed 
herself  to  him  as  she  had  done  to  the  advanced  guard ;  and 
addressed  herself  so  artfully  to  him  in  words  that  admitted 
a  double  meaning,  as,*  "  That  the  Lord  had  sent  her  to 
"  perform  such  an  enterprise  with  him,  as  would  ex- 
''  cite  the  wonder  of  the  world  when  it  was  known," 
so  that  he  became  enamoured  with  her  wit  and  beauty. 
Holofernes  fondly  concluding  that  the  God  of  the  Hebrews 
was  angry  with  them,  which  he,  through  mistake,  imagined 
the  cause  of  Judith's  quitting  them,  gave  her  leave  to  go 
and  come  whither,  and  when  she  pleased,  viithout  con- 
troul.  Judith  was  a  pious  woman,  and  a  strict  obser- 
ver  of  the  ceremonies  of  her  religion ;  and  to  prevent 
any  pollution  by  eating  with  the  Assyrians,  when  Holo- 
fernes pressed  her  to  eat  as  he  did,  she  declined  it,  telling 
him,  that  she  had  brought  enough  to  serve  her  till  she 
had  finished  what  she  came  about.  Thus  she  continued 
three  days  in  the  Assyrian  camp,  and  on  the  fourth  day 
Holofernes  invited  her  to  an  entertainment,  where  she 
drank  of  his  wine,  but  eat  only  what  she  had  ordered  her 
maid  to  provide.  The  general  was  so  well  pleased  with 
her  conversation,  that  he  drank  very  liberally,  and  pro- 
posed to  pass  the  night  with  the  beautiful  stranger ;  but 
he  became  so  intoxicated,  that  he  fell  upon  his  bed  fast 
asleep.  Upon  which  Bagoas,  the  general's  eunuch,  dis- 
missed all  the  company,  except  Judith,  and  then  Ifimself 
withdrew.  Now  was  Judith's  project  ripe  for  execution ; 
praying  therefore  to  God  to  strengthen  her  in  the  per- 
formance of  it,  she  approached  the  bed,  and  finding  his 
senses  quite  locked  up  with  wine,  she  drew  his  scimitar, 
and  at  two  strokes  cut  oif  his  head,  which  she  immedi- 
ately gave  to  her  maid,  whom  she  had  ordered  to  attend 


*  As.  See  Judith  xi.  16, 


B.  C.   592.  of  the  Holy  Bible.  23 

her  without.     The   maid   put  up  the  head  in  the  bag  in 
■which  she  carried  their  provisions,  and  away  they  liasten 
towards   the  mountains   of  Bethuha.     When  they  were 
come  within   hearing,  Judith  called  to  the  watch  to  open 
the  gates,  and  being  admitted,  the  governor  and  people 
from  all  quarters  of  the  town  came  thronging  to  see  her  ; 
upon  which  she  shewed  them  Holofernes's  head,  assuring 
them,  that  though  ^e  had  ensnared  him  with  her  beauty, 
yet  he  had  committed  nothing  immodest  with  her.     Ju- 
dith well  knowing  the  consternation  into  which  the  sud- 
den death  of  Holofernes  would  put  the  Assyrian  army, 
advised  the  Beihulians  to   take  the  advantage  of  it,  and 
arm  to  pursue  and  kill  them.     They  had  great  reason  to 
observe  her  instructions,  whose  conduct  had  so  far  put 
them  in  the    way  for    their    deliverance.     The  besieged 
therefore    immediately  ran    to   arms,    and   to   encourage 
them,  Judith  had  ordered  the  head  of  Holofernes  to  be 
hung  upon  the  wall  in  sight  of  the  enemy.     The  Bethu- 
lians   appearing  in  the  passes  of  the  mountains,  the  ene- 
my's  out-guards  gave  notice  to  their  officers,  and  the  of- 
ficers sent  to  the  general  :  upon  which  Bagoas,  his  eu- 
nuch, went  to  the  tent,  and  knocking  at   the  door,  but 
having  no  answer,  he  opened  it,  and  went  in,  where,  to 
his  great  amazement  and   surprise,  he  saw  the  headless 
body  of  his  master  wallowing  in  his  blood  ;  missing  Ju- 
dith,   who   he   thought   had   slept  with  Holofernes  that 
night,  he  went  to  her   tent ;  but  not  finding  her  there, 
he  straightway  concluded  who  was  the  author  of  this  mis- 
chief and  disgrace  to  the  Assyrians.     This  dismal  news 
soon    spread    through  the  camp,    and    occasioned    such 
terror,*  that  every  one  began  to  shift  for  himself,  flying 
over   the   plains  and   mountains    in   the    greatest  confu- 
sion and  disorder.     The  Bethulians  took  the  advantage 
of  this,  and  attacked  them  in  small  parties  from  several 
quarters,    as  did    likewise  all    the    neighbouring  people, 
who,  as  well  as   those   of  Bethulia,  enriched  themselves 
greatly  with  the  booty.     After  this  Joakim  came  to  Be- 
thulia, attended  with  the  chief  men  of  Israel,  and  having 
saluted  Judith,  and   complimented  her  for  her  glorious 
conduct  and  policy,  she  returned  with  them  to  Jerusalem, 


24  A  Complete  History  B.  C.  590. 

where  they  all  gave  public  thanks,  and  offered  burnt-of- 
ferings ;  but  Judith's  ofibring  was  the  plunder  of  Holo- 
fernes's  tent,  with  all  his  equipage,  with  which  the  sol- 
diers had  presented  her.  After  this  she  returned  to  Be- 
thulia,  and  died  in  a  good  old  age,  being  a  hundred  and 
five  years  old.  Return  we  now  to  the  siege  of  Jeru- 
salem. 

The  Jews  being  closely  besieged,  the  prophet  Jere- 
miah frequently  applied  to  the  king,  acquainting  him 
with  his  fate,  and  that  of  the  city  ;  with  which  Zedekiah 
was  at  length  so  much  affected,  that  he  and  his  people, 
to  shew  some  token  of  reformation,  agreed  to  proclaim 
a  manumission,  or  liberty  to  all  Hebrew  servants  of  both 
sexes,  which  they  ratified  by  the  ancient  and  usual  solem- 
nity of  dividing*  a  calf  into  two  parts,  and  passing  be- 
tween them.  But  this  they  soon  retracted;  for  upon  the 
coming  of  Hophra,t  king  of  Egypt,  to  the  relief  of  Je- 
rusalem, the  ChaldcansJ  raised  the  siege  of  the  city, 
and  went  to  fight  the  Egyptians ;  and  the  people  of  Jeru- 
salem, who  had  made  the  proclamation  of  liberty,  think- 
ing that  Nebuchadnezzar's  army  had  fled  for  fear  of  the 
Egyptian  army,  obliged  the  servants  to  return  every  one 
to  his  respective  duty  and  service.  This  prevarication  so 
incensed  the  Lord,  that  he  repeats  his  former  judgments 
of  s\\'t)rd,  famine,  and  pestilence,  by  his  servant  Jere- 
miah. Shortly  after  which,  Zedekiah  sent  Jehucal  and 
Zephaniah  the  priest,  to  the  prophet  Jeremiah,  to  desire 
him  to  pray  to  the  Lord  for  them.  But  he  returned  an- 
swer, that  they  were  mistaken  in  concluding  that  the 
Chaldeans  were  gone  ;  and  supposing  that  the  Chaldeans 


•  Dividing.  Jeremiah  xxxiv.  9,  which  imported  a  sort  of  imprecation  on  them- 
selves, that  they  might  be  cut  asunder  in' case  they  did  not  observe  and  perform 
the  covenant  into  which  they  then  entered. 

f  Hophra.  He  is  called  so  by  the  prophet  Jeremiah,  ch.  xliv.  ver.  33 ;  by- 
others  Apries,  by  Eusebius,  Vaphres. 

\  Chaldeans,    They  were  part  of  Nebuchadnezzar's  army. 


B.  C.  58P. 


of  the  Ilohj  Bible. 


25 


should  be  worsted,  so  that  none  but  wounded  men  should 
be  left,  yet  they  would  lire  the  eit^^ 

After  this,  the  propliet  seeing  the  liiege  raised  for  the 
present,  thought  fit  to  take  this  opportunity  of  the  gates 
being  open,  to  go  into  the  country  ;  but  being  stopped 
by  the  guard,  was  seized  as  a  deserter,  and  carried  before 
the  princes,  who  were  in  such  a  rage,  that  they  fell 
upon  him,  beat  him,  and  committed  him  to  prison. 
From  whence  he  was,  b}^  the  king's  order,  released,  and 
brought  to  his  house,  where,  between  themselves,  the 
king  asked  him  if  he  had  any  word  fiom  the  Lord  con- 
cerning him  ?  "  Yes,"  repHed  Jeremiah,  "  for  thou  shalt 
"  be  delivered  into  the  hands  of  the  king  of  Babylon." 
Then  expostulathig  with  the  king  on  the  hardship  of  his 
case,  who,  for  telling  the  truth  in  the  siege  of  the  city, 
and  other  matters,  was  punished  and  confined,  while  the 
false  prophets  were  excused,  he  desired  the  king  to  put 
him  in  a  more  commodious  prison  ;  he  was  accordingly 
removed,  and  better  care  taken  of  him  so  long  as  any  pro- 
vision was  left. 

The  good  old  prophet,  though  in  prison,  spoke  what 
the  Lord  commanded  him ;  and  all  that  he  said  beir.g  a 
constant  denunciation  of  the  heavy  judgments  of  God 
against  the  city  and  people  of  Jerusalem,  particularly 
that  it  should  be  taken  by  the  king  of  Babylon,  and  that 
they  should  languish  under  those  three  plagues,  famine, 
pestilence,  and  sword ;  the  princes  were  so  enraged,  that 
they  went  to  the  king,  and  remonstrated  with  him  on 
the  subject,  declaring  that  the  prophet  ought  to  be  put 
to  death,  as  his  speeches  discouraged  both  the  soldiers 
and  the  people.  The  king,  in  this  distress,  not  daring 
to  contest  with  his  people,  who,  upon  every  litde  occa- 
sion, were  too  apt  to  mutiny,  allowed  them  to  do  what 
they  pleased.  Upon  which,  they  took  Jeremiah,  and 
let  him  down  by  cords  into  a  filthy  miry  dungeon,  where 
he  must  inevitably  have  perished,  had  not  God  raised 
him  up  a  friend  in  the  person  of  Ebedmelech,  a  black 
eunuch,  who  interceded  with  the  king  for  him,  and  pro- 
cured him  to  be  brought  back  to  his  former  prison.  For 
this  courtesy,  Jeremiah  assured  the  charitable  moor,  that 

Vol.  IL  D 


26  A  Complete  History  B.  C.  588. 

when  the  city  should  be  taken,  he  should  not  fall  by  the 
sword. 

And  now  the  king  having  the  prophet  near  him  again, 
he  desired  him  not  to  hide  any  thing  from  him  that  he 
should  ask.  But  the  prophet,  who  had  been  ill  treated 
before  for  speaking  his  mind  so  freely,  began  now  to 
expostulate  with  him,  and  before  he  answered  the  king, 
he  told  him,  that  if  he  would  promise*  not  to  put  him 
to  death,  if  what  he  should  report  to  him  did  not  please 
him,  and  that  if  he  gave  him  good  advice,  he  would  ob- 
serve it,  he  would  freely  answer  him.  To  the  first  the 
king  answered  positively,  that  no  one  should  hurt  him  ; 
but  as  to  the  second  he  was  silent.  However,  the  pro- 
phet ventured  to  advise  him  to  surrender  to  the  king  of 
Babylon,  with  assurance  of  good  quarter  for  himself  and 
family.  The  king  scrupled  at  it,  but  the  prophet  per- 
sisted ;  and  at  the  breaking  off  of  the  discourse,  the  king 
obliged  him  to  secrecy,  which  for  his  own  sake  he  ob- 
served;  for  if  the  princes  had  knov^n  what  had  passed 
between  him  and  the  king,  it  might  have  cost  the  prophet 
his  life. 

The  siege  drawing  near  to  a  close,  the  people,  through 
the  scarcity  of  provisions,  were  reduced  to  extremity, 
being  forced  to  rake  the  very  dunghills  for  food,  and  at 
last  to  feed  on  one  another. f  In  this  sad  condition,  the 
city  was  taken  by  storm,  in  the  eleventh  year  of  Zede- 
kiah's  reign.  The  Chaldeans  having  possessed  themselves 
of  one  gate,  king  Zedekiah,  with  the  few  forces  he  had 
left,  endeavoured  to  escape  at  another  gate ;  but  the  city 
being  enclosed  on  every  side  with  the  enemy's  army,  he 
had  not  gone  far  before  he  was  seized,  and  the  few  that 
were  with  him  dispersed.  The  wretched  king,  thus 
taken,  was  carried  to  Nebuchadnezzar,  who  was  then  at 
Riblah,  where,  to  add  to  his  misery,  he  saw  his  sons  put 
to  death  before  his  face,  and  the  princes  of  Judah,  who 


*■  Promise      See  Jeremiah  xxviii.  16. 

f  Aiwther.    See  Lament,  iv.  4,  5,  10,  and  Ezek.  v.  10. 


B.  C.   588.  of  the  Holy  Bible.  27 

had  opposed  his  inclining  to  believe  the  prophet  Jere- 
miah, were  likewise  slain.  As  lor  himself,  the  king  of 
Babylon  commanded  his  eyes  to  be  put  out,  and  binding 
him  in  fetters  of  brass,  he  carried  him  in  triumph  to  Ba- 
bylon, where  he  died  in  prison.  The  people  being  put 
to  military  execution,  the  enemy  fell  to  plunder,  and  de- 
stroyed the  place.  This  was  executed  with  the  utmost 
rage  by  Nebuzaradan,  captain  of  the  king  of  Babylon's 
guards,  for  he  threw  down  the  walls,  burnt  the  temple 
and  royal  palace,  and  all  the  principal  houses,  and  set 
the  rest  of  the  city  on  fire.  Those  that  escaped  the 
sword,  with  them  that  had  deserted  during  the  siege, 
were  sent  prisoners  to  Babylon ;  none  but  a  few  of  the 
poorer  sort  being  left  to  till  the  country.  All  the  sacred 
vessels,  utensils,  and  treasure  of  the  temple,  were  carried 
off,  together  with  the  priests,  and  some  officers  that  used 
to  attend  the  service  of  the  Lord. 


The  contemporary  reigns  of  the  kings  of  Israel  and 
Judah,  being  somewhat  intricate,  from  the  manner  in 
which  they  run  into  each  other  in  the  Sacred  History, 
the  following  Table  will  exhibit  an  abstract  of  their 
several  reigns,  from  the  founding  of  Solomon's  tem- 
ple to  the  destruction  of  it  at  this  period  of  the  his- 
tory. 


Ji- 


[     28     ] 

Abstract  of  the  Reigns  of  the  Kings  of  Judah  and  Israel, 
from  the  founding  of  Solomon's  Temple  in  the  year  of 
the  world  3983,  to  its  final  destruction,  by  Nebuchadnezzar. 
Containing  the  space  of  423  years. 


914 


889 
885 
884 
878 
85(5 
839 

810 


758 
742 


726 

698 


643 
641 
610 


599 


599 


Kings 

ot 
Judah. 


4—36   Solomon. 
17  I  Rehoboam. 
3  (  Abiam. 


^1 


25 

4 
1 

6 
40 

29 

52 


10 
16 


Asa, 


Jehosaphat. 

Jehoram. 
Ahaziah. 
Athaliah. 
Joash. 

Amaziah. 

Azariah. 


Jotham. 
Ahaz, 


2 

31 

3  Mo. 

11  Yrs. 


3  Mo. 


11  Yrs. 


Hezekiah. 
Manasseh. 


Amon. 
Josiah. 
Jelioahaz. 
Jehuiakiin. 

Jehoiachin. 
Zedekiah. 


Kings 
of 
Israel. 


Jeroboanx  I. 


Nadab. 

Baasha, 

Elah._ 

Zimri. 

Omri, 

Ahab. 

Ahaziah. 
Jelioram. 


Jehu. 

Jehoahaz. 

Jehoash. 

Jeroboam  Tl. 

Interregnum 

Zechariah. 

Shallam. 

Menaheni. 

Pekaiah. 

Pekali. 


Interregnum. 
Hosea, 


Years 

of 
Reign. 


22 


1 

23 

I 

7  Days 

11  Yrs. 

20 


Years 
befoi  e 
Christ. 


Prophets  in  their  Reigns 
and  particular  events. 


Micah. 

721        Second  captiv.  of  Israel. 

Nahmii  proi)liesied. 
677        Third  captiv.  of  Israel, 
by  Esarliaddon. 
Jeremiah,     Habakkuk, 
and  Zephaniah. 

First  c  apti  vityof  Judah, 
Daniel  carried  to  Ba- 
bylon. 
Second  captivity  of  Ju- 
dah. 
Mordecai  and  Ezekiel 
carried  away  captives. 

Jeremiah  and  Ezekiel. 

588    The  Temple  destroyed,  and  Judah  with  th«  remainder  of  Israel  carried  away  to 
Babylon,  by  Nebuchadnezar. 


28 

17 
14 

41 

11 

6  Mo. 

IMo. 

10  Yrs. 

3 

20 


975 


953 
9i2 
929 
928 
928 
917 
904 
897 
890 


834 
870 
856 
839 
825 
784 
773 
772 

762 
760 
740 


738 
730 


Nathan  and  Gad. 


Elijah  prophesied, 
Troy  taken. 
Elijah  translated. 
Elisha  succeeds  him. 


Homer  andHesiodlived. 

Jonah  prophesied, 
Amos.     Hosea. 

Jonah  goes  to  Nineveh. 

Isa.  began  to  prophesy. 
Micah  inophesied. 
First  captivity  of  Israel 
by  Tiglath-Pileser. 


The  Number  of  the  Kings  of  Judah,  of  the  race  and  family 
of  David,  excepting  Athaliah,  who  was  daughter  of  Ahab 
and  Jezebel,  was  21.  Average  of  their  reigns  in  423  years, 
20  years  and  52  days  each.  Number  of  the  Kings  of  Israel 
in  254  years  from  the  reign  of  Jeroboam  I.  to  the  third 
captivity  undtr  Hosea,  19.  Average  of  their  reigns,  13 
years  98  days  each. 


V 


I 


COMPLETE 

H  f   S    T   ®   R   Y 

OF  THE 


miV  KiUt, 


BOOK  THE  SIXTH. 


B 


EFORE  Nebuzaradan  had  commenced  the  demolition 
of  the  city,  the  king  of  Babylon  having  understood  what 
pains  the  prophet  Jeremiah  had  taken  to  incline  the  king 
of  Judah  and  his  princes  to  a  timely  surrender,  and  what 
hardshii^  he  had  suffered  for  so  doing,  gave  a  strict 
charge*  to  Nebuzaradan  to  pay  particular  attention  to  him, 
and  to  grant  him  whatever  he  should  desire.  But  in  the 
heat  of  the  action  he  had  neglected  to  inquire  after  him, 
and  they  who  had  tlie  charge  of  transporting  the  cap- 
tives, had  carried  him  away  among  the  rest  as  far  as  Ra- 
mah.  Upon  which,  Nebuzaradan  sent  for  him  back,  and 
gave  him  his  liberty.  Jeremiah  understanding  by  Nebu- 
zaradan, that  the  king  of  Babylon  had  made  Gedaliah 
governor  of  the  land,  he  went  to  him,  by  Ncbuzaradan*s 
advice,  and  dwelt  with  him  at  Mizpah,  as  did  several  of 
king  Zedekiah's  officers,  who  upon  the  taking  of  the 
city  had  .fled,  and  were  dispersed  about  the  country. 
Among  these  were  Ishmael,  who  was  of  the  royal  bloody 
and  Johanan    and    Jonathan,   two  brothers,    and    other 


><■ 


*  Charge,  See  J?i:emiah  xxxix.  40. 


30  A  Complete  History  B.  C.  588. 

principal  men.  All  of  whom  Gcdaliah  took  into  his  pro- 
tection, on  condition,  that  they  would  be  subject  to  the 
king  of  Babylon,  giving  them  leave  to  settle  in  what 
towns  they  pleased,  and  to  furnish  themselves  with  win- 
ter stores.  The  same  liberty  he  gave  to  all  the  Jews  that 
returned  from  the  countries,  to  which,  in  the  common 
danger,  they  had  fled. 

But  notwithstanding  the  generosity  of  Gedaliah,  Ish- 
mael  was  discontented  ;  for  envying  the  promotion  of 
Gedaliah,  who  was  an  obscure  person  in  comparison  of 
himself,  he  with  ten  more  conspired  to  murder  him, 
Avhich  base  design  was  secretly  encouraged  by  the  king  of 
Ammon.  Johanan  discovered  this  conspiracy  to  Geda- 
liah, and  offered  his  service  to  dispatch  Ishmael.  The 
generous  governor,  who  was  a  man  of  honour  himself, 
and  not  ready  to  entertain  ill  thoughts  of  others,  would 
not  believe  Johanan,  nor  permit  him  to  kill  Ishmael.  But 
his  incredulity  soon  cost  him  dear ;  for  the  conspirators 
pretending  to  pay  a  visit  to  the  governor,  murdered  him  ; 
and  to  secure  themselves,  took  advantage  of  the  people's 
being  unprovided  for  defence,  fell  upon  them  too,  and 
slew  not  only  the  Jews,  but  the  Chaldeans  also.  This 
they  kept  so  private  for  some  days,  that  fourscore  Is- 
raelites, who  were  carrying  offerings  and  incense  to  Je- 
rusalem,* fell  into  their  hands,  whom  they  barbarously 
murdered,  except  ten,  whom  they  saved  for  the  purpose  of 
discovering  their  treasures  in  the  field. 

Ishmael  not  thinking  himself  secure  here,  leaves  Miz- 
pah,  and  taking  what  people  were  left  as  captives  with 
him,  (among  whom  were  king  Zedekiah's  daughters)  f 
lie  makes  the  best  of  his  way  to  the  king  of  Ammon,  who 
had  put  him  upon  this  treacherous  enterprise.  But  Jo- 
hanan, having  intelligence  of  the  late  massacre,  collect- 
ing what  forces  he  had,  marched  after  IshmaeJ,  whom  he 


•  Jerusalem.    It  is  to  be  supposed  that  these  Israelites  had  not  heard  that  the 
temple  and  city  were  destroyed,  when  they  came  from  home. 

■\  Daughters.    See  Jeremiah  xli.  10. 


B.  C.  588.  of  the  Holy  Bible.  31 

found  at  the  pool  of  Gibeon.  The  people  whom  Islimacl 
liad  carried  off  from  Mizpah,  seeing  Johanan  and  the  rest 
come  to  rescue  them,  ran  over  to  their  dehvcrers ;  ^\  hich 
Ishmael  perceiving,  fled,  with  only  eight  men  in  his 
company,  to  the  Ammonites.  Ishmael  thus  gone,  Jo- 
hanan and  his  company  take  up  their  dwelling  at  Chim- 
ham*  near  Bethlehem,  which  they  chose,!  the  rather, 
that  if  they  should  be  attacked  by  the  Chaldeans  for  Ish- 
mael's  conspiracy,  they  might  the  more  readily  take  refuge 
in  Egypt. 

Jeremiah  the  prophet  having  taken  up  his  dwelling 
wdth  Gedaliah  at  Mizpah, J  was  carried  from  thence  by 
Ishmael  the  conspirator,  after  the  death  of  the  governor, 
among  the  rest  of  the  captives;  and  Ishmael  being  routed,. 
he  accompanied  Johanan  to  their  new  habitation  at 
Chimham.§  Here  Johanan  and  his  company  addressed 
the  prophet,  and  intreated  him  to  pray  to  the  Lord  for 
them,  to  direct  them  what  course  to  take.  The  prophet 
promised  them  he  would,  and  faithfully  return  them  the 
answer  which  the  Lord  should  give.  Upon  which  they 
entered  into  a  covenant  of  obedience  to  the  prophet, 
and  he  supplicated  God  for  them :  but  ten  days  elapsed 
before  he  obtained  an  answer  ;  when  calling  Johanan 
and  the  people  together,  he  told  them,  tliat  if  they 
would  live  in  subjection  to  the  king  of  Babylon,  and 
tarry  in  Judea  till  his  appointed  time,  the  Lord  would 
skreen  them  from  all  danger,  and  raise  them  up  again ; 
but  if  they  offered  to  go  to  Egypt,  the  sword,  famine 
and  pestilence,  should  pursue  them.  This  advice,  being 
contrary   to  their  inclinations,  they  refused  to  receive, 


*  Chimham.  This  place  may  be  supposed  from  2  Sam.  xuf.  38,  to  have 
been  anciently  given  by  king  David  to  Chimham,  the  son  of  old  Barzillai 
the  Gileadite,  and  which  yet  bore  his  name,  though  near  five  hundred  years 
after. 

•j-  Cboie.   See  Jeremiah  xli.  16.  \  Mizpah.  Sec  Jer.  xl.  6. 

J  Cbivibam,    See  Jeremiah  xlii.  12. 


42  A  Complete  History  B.  C.  584* 

and  rudely  charged  the  prophet  with  speaking  falsely  in 
the  name  of  the  Lprd ;  and  notwithstanding  he  urged  in 
his  defence  that  they  had  dissembled  with  him,  when  they 
intreated  him  to  pray  to  the  Lord  for  them,  and  gave  a 
confirmation  of  the  judgments  that  would  attend  them, 
they  persisted  in  their  former  resolution  of  going  to 
Egypt,  and  removed  thither  with  all  the  remnant  of  Ju- 
dah,  taking  the  men,  women  and  children,  with  all  the 
late  king's  daughters,  the  prophet  Jeremiah,  and  Baruch 
his  scribe. 

They  had  not  been  long  in  Egypt,  before  the  Lord,  by 
his  prophet,  admonished  them  of  the  destruction  of  that 
country,  and  the  extirpation  of  their  false  gods,  by  Nebu- 
chadnezzar, king  of  Babylon.  But  the  stubborn  Jews  did 
not  regard  him,  for  they  resolutely  told  him  they  would 
do  what  they  thought  fit,  and  would,  according  to  the 
idolatry  of  the  Egyptians,  offer  incense  to  the  queen*  of 
heaven :  the  women,  with  equal  insolence,  said  the  same. 
This  conduct  provoked  the  Lord  to  denounce  against 
them,  by  his  prophet,  the  most  fearful  judgments!  in  posi^ 
tive  terms  :  at  the  same  time  assuring  them,  that  Pharaoh 
Hophra,  king  of  Egypt  (uiKler  whose  protection  they  lived 
secure,  as  they  supposed)  should  be  delivered  into  the 
hands  of  Nebuchadnezzar,  king  of  Babylon,  as  Zedekiah 
had  been  before. 

And  I  now  the  prophet  Jeremiah  having  discharged 
his  duty  to  his  own  people  the  Jews,  addressed  himself, 
in  the  rest  of  his  book,  for  the  most  part,  to  the  gen- 
tiles :  §    as    did    his   cotemporary,     the    prophet    Eze- 


•  ^een.  By  which  is  meant  the  moon  at  least,  if  not  all  the  planets.  See 
Jeremiah  xliv.  17. 

+  yudgmenU.     Jeremiah  xliv.  26,  27. 

\  And,  &.C.  About  this  time  both  Jeremiah  and  his  cotemporary  EzekieJ, 
16ft  oflF  historical  matter,  and  foretel  the  wickedness  and  misfortunes  of  the 
heathen. 

}  Gentiles.  Thus  Jeremiah  prophesied  against  Egypt,  ch.  xlvi.  the  Philistines, 
ch.  xlvii.  Moabites,  ch.  xlviii.  Ammen,  Edom,  and  other  people,  ch.  xlix.  Baby- 
lon, ch.  1.  andli.  with  some  prophecies  here  and  there  interspersed;  especially  in 
ch.  1.  concerning  the  redemption  of  IsraeU 


B.  C.  580.  of  the  Holy  Bible.  33 

kiel,*  who  was  earnestly  engas^cd  in  the  Hke  service  in 
Chaldca.  In  which  prophetic  office  they  continued  till  the 
time  of  their  death,  f 

Truly  honourable  and  dignified  was  the  character  sup- 
ported by  the  prophet  Jeremiah.  He  commenced  his 
work  at  a  very  early  age,  and  was  indeed,  sanctified  and 
ordained  to  it  from  his  birth.-  From  a  modest  diffidence 
lie  would  have  excused  himself  from  the  arduous  office, 
saying,  '  Ah  !  Lord  God !  I  cannot  speak,  for  I  am  a 
child  !'  But  his  objections  were  over-ruled  by  the  divine 
assurance  that  he  should  be  duly  qualified  for,  and  as- 
sisted in  his  work.  "  I  have  made  thee,"  said  the  Lord 
to  him,  *'  a  defenced  city,  and  an  iron  pillar,  and  brazen 
walls  against  the  whole  land  :  and  they  shall  fight  against 


*  Ezekiel.  He  prophesied  against  the  Ammonites,  ch.  xxv.  against  Tyrus, 
ch.  xxvi.  against  those  that  supported  her,  and  traded  with  her,  ch.  xxvii.  against 
the  prince  of  Tyrus,  ch.  txviii.  against  Egypt,  ch.  xxix.  xxx.  xxxi.  and  xxxiL 
against  the  shepherds  of  Israel,  ch.  xxxiv.  against  mount  Seir,  or  Edom,  ch.  xxxv. 
against  the  lofty  ones  of  Israel,  ch.  xxxvi.  with  a  promise  of  their  restoration  to 
their  own  country,  by  the  emblem  of  the  dr)'  bones,  ch.  xxxvii.  against  other  ene- 
mies of  the  church  of  God,  under  the  name  of  Gog  and  Magog,  ch.  xxxviii. 
xxxix.  And  from  thence  he  describes  the  rebuilding  of  the  temple,  as  a  sure  con- 
firmation to  his  captive  countrymen,  that  their  captivity  should  have  an  end,  and 
that  they  should  return  to  their  own  country. 

f  Death.  The  Holy  Scripture  makes  no  mention  of  the  death  of  these  two 
great  prophets,  either  as  to  time,  place,  or  manner.  But  St.  Jerom,  in  the  life  of 
Jeremiah,  and  Dorotheus,  bishop  of  Tyre,  in  his  Synopsis  of  the  lives  and  deaths 
of  the  prophets  and  apostles,  sayj,  that  Jeremiah  was  stoned  to  death  in  Eg}'pt  by 
the  people  ;  most  likely  by  his  renegado  countrymen  the  Jews,  that  fled  to  Egypt 
against  his  advice  and  God's  command,  and  took  him  with  them  against  his  will. 
For  the  Egyptians  being  freed  by  the  prophet's  prayers  from  Crocodiles,  which 
very  much  infested  them,  had  him  in  very  great  honour  and  esteem,  which  they 
testified  by  burying  him  in  one  of  the  royal  sepulchres.  As  for  the  prophet  Eze- 
kiel, he  is  said  to  have  been  slain  in  Chaldea,  by  a  princ?  of  the  children  of  Israel, 
whom  he  reproved  for  worshipping  images.  Towards  the  latter  end  of  their  time, 
Obadiah  prophesied.  His  prophecy  is  directed  against  Edom,  the  posterity  of 
Esau,  against  whom  those  other  two  prophets  also  denounced  the  judgments  of 
God,  Jeremiah  xlLx.  andEzek.  x.xv. 

Vol.  II.  -  .        E 


54  A  Complete  History  B,  C.  580. 

thee,  but  they  shall  not  prevail  against  thee,  for  I  am 
with  thee,  to  deliver  thee."  This  promise  was  fulfilled, 
for  he  continued,  amidst  all  dangers,  inflexibly  firm  in 
the  discharge  of  his  duty ;  and  the  astonishing  deliver- 
ances wrought  for  him  in  times  of  the  most  imminent 
danger,  proved  that  God  had  not  forsaken  him.  The 
example  of  Jeremiah  encou/ages  all  the  people  of  God, 
but  especially  his  ministers,  "  to  obey  God  rather  than 
man,"  and  to  conduct  themselves  with  wisdom,  courage, 
patience,  and  fidelity,  assured  that  he,  whom  they  serve, 
is  able  to  deliver,  and  will  never  leave  nor  forsake 
them.  '  .  , 

Daniel,*  liaving  been  carried  to  Babylon  among  the 
captives  in  the  first  captivity  of  Judah,  under  Jehoiakim 
their  king,  with  his  three  friends,  was  obliged  to  change 
his  name,  and  they  theirs,  by  order  of  Ashpenaz,  master 
of  the  eunuchs.  This  was  done  in  token  of  slavery  ; 
therefore  they  called  Daniel,  Belteshazzar;  Hananiah, 
Shadrach  %  Mishael,  Meshach  \  and  Azariah,  Abednego. 
Being  bred  up  in  the  learning  of  the  Chaldeans,  in  order 
to  qualify  them  for  the  king*s  service,  Daniel,  who  was 
descended  of  the  royal  blood  of  Judah,  and  his  three 
friends,  had  their  daily  allowance  of  meat  and  wine  or- 
dered from  the  king  of  Babylon's  table.  But  Daniel,  be- 
ing a  devout  observer  of  the  religion  of  his  countr)-,  re- 
quested of  the  master  of  the  eunuchs,  that  he  and  his 
friends  might  be  excused  from  it,  desiring  only  pulse  and 
water,  which  he  said  was  sufficient  sustenance  for  them. 
This  upon  trial  agreeing  well  with  them,  they  had  their 
liberty  to  eat  it,  without  having  other  meat  forced  upon 
them.     This  religious  abstinence  appears  to  have  been 


.  •  Daniel.  The  Jews  do  not  place  him  among  the  prophets,  because  he  did  not 
live  after  the  manner  of  the  other  prophets.  However,  it  cannot  be  denied  that  he 
was  a  prophet,  and  that  what  he  wrote  was  a  prophecy,  as  the  Jews  own.  He  pro- 
phesied at  Babylon  from  tbe  beginning  of  the  captivity,  till  the  reign  of  Cyrus,  that 
is,  above  eighty  years.  We  do  not  read  that  he  returned  into  his  country,  and 
therefore  suppose  that  he  died  at  Babylon.  His  book  is  partly  historical  and  part- 
ly prophetical. 


I 

1 


B.  C.  570.  of  the  Holy  Bible.  %^ 

pleasing  and  acceptable  to  their  God  ;  who,  while  they 
were  pursuing  their  studies  of  the  arts  and  sciences  of 
the  Chaldeans,  furnished  them  with  such  an  uncommon 
measure  of  understanding  and  knc«»  ledge,  that,  when  at 
the  end  of  three  years,  they  were  brought  before  the 
king,  he  found  them  by  far  to  excel  in  wisdom  all  the 
Magi  and  Philosophers  of  his  country  ;  especially  Daniel, 
to  whom  God  imparted  a  wonderful  faculty  of  under- 
standing  and  interpreting  dreams.  A  specimen  of  which 
he  had  soon  an  opportunity  of  displaying  ;  for  the  king- 
having  a  dream  one  night,  it  left  such  an  impression  on 
his  spirits,  as  made  him  very  uneasy  ;  and  that  which  ad- 
ded to  his  inquietude  was,  he  could  not  recollect  the  sub- 
stance of  this  dream. 

Upon  this,  the  most  learned  among  the  Chaldeans  who 
pretended  to  divination  were  summoned;  who  excused 
themselves  from  telling  the  dream,  but  readily  offered  to 
interpret  it,  if  he  could  recollect  it.  This  was  so  far 
from  satisfying  the  uneasy  king,  that  it  threw  him  into  a 
rage,  and  he  threatened  them  and  tl^eir  families  with 
utter  destruction,  if  they  did  not  relate  and  interpret  his 
forgotten  dream.  They  still  persisted  in  their  inability 
to  perform  what  he  demanded,  urging  that  it  was  the 
province  of  a  Deity,  and  not  of  a  man,  so  to  divine ; 
and  that  no  king  had  ever  before  required  such  a  thing  of 
men  of  skill  and  learning.  Nebuchadnezzar  looking 
upon  this  as  trifling  with  him,  gave  order  that  all  who 
professed  the  magic  art  in  his  dominions  should  be 
destroyed. 

Daniel  and  his  three  friends  w^ere  now  sought  for,  to 
be  executed  among  the  rest ;  but  Daniel,  addressing  him- 
self to  the  captain  of  the  guard,  to  know  the  cause  of  this 
sudden  decree,  and  the  captain  acquainting  him  with  the 
whole  matter,  he  w'ent  into  the  presence,  and  assured 
his  Majesty  that,  if  he  would  allow  him  time,  he  would 
both  discover  and  interpret  his  dream.  Daniel  having 
obtained  time,  retired  to  his  apartment,  and  commu- 
nicated the  whole  affair  to  his  companions  Hananiah,  Mi- 
shael,  and  Azariah,  requesting  them  to  unite  with  him 
in  fervent  prayer  to  God,  that  he  would  mercifully  reveal 


36  A  Complete  History  B.  C.  570. 

this  great  secret  to  them,  that  they  might  not  perish. 
God  was  pleased  immediately  to  answer  thei  prayers,  and 
in  a  vision  revealed  the  important  secret  to  Daniel ;  who, 
after  a  return  of  prais»j  and  thanksgiving,  applied  himself 
to  the  captain  of  the  guard,  desiring  him  not  to  execute  the 
king's  decree,  but  to  introduce  him  to  him,  and  he  would 
discover  and  interpret  his  dream. 

Arioch  the  captiiin,  glad  to  be  excused  from  this 
bloody  work,  readily  introduced  Daniel  to  the  king,  who 
iasked  him  whether  he  had  found  out  the  dream  ?  Daniel 
answered,  that  the  secret  was  beyond  the  reach  of  human 
wisdom,  and  that  none  but  the  God  of  heaven  could  re- 
veal- it,  who  had  been  so  gracious,  for  the  sake  of  those 
who  might  receive  the  benefit  of  the  interpretation  of  it, 
to  discover  it  to  him.  Then  he  thus  began  to  declare  the 
dream  : 

"  Thou  sawest,  O  king,  an  image  of  vast  dimensions, 
*'  admirable  in  brightness,  but  terrible  in  form.  The  head 
**  of  this  image  was  of  fine  gold,  the  breast  and  arms  of 

silver,  the  belly  and  thighs  of  brass,  the  legs  of  iron,  and 

the  feet  partly  iron,  and  partly  clay.  Thou  sawest,  O 
*'  king,  a  stone  cut  out  of  the  mountain,  but  from  whenCc 
*'  it  came,  you  knew  not;  which  stone,  falling  upon  the 
"  feet  of  this  image,  brake  them  into  pieces,  and  then  the 
*'  rest  of  the  image  fell  into  dust,  which  the  wind  dispers- 
*'  ed,  so  that  it  was  no  more  to  be  seen;  and  the  stone 
"  that  did  this  execution  on  the  image,  increased  to  a  great 
'*  mountain,  and  filled  the  earth.  This,  O  king,  was  the 
*'  dream  ;  and  this  is  the  interpretation  of  it." 

"  Thou  art  a  king  of  kings,  to  whom  the  God  of 
*'  heaven  hath  given  power,  strength  and  glory :  thon 
*'  therefore  art  meant  by  this  head  of  gold;  and  after 
*'  thee  another  kingdom  shall  arise,  as  inferior  to  thine  as 
**  silver  is  to  gold:  and  after  that  a  third  kingdom,  signifi- 
*'  ed  by  brass,  which  shall  govern  the  earth.  But  the  fourth 
"  kingdom  shall  be  strong  as  iron,  and  destroy  the  other 
"  kiiigdoms ;  and  whereas  the  feet  were  partly  iron,  and 
'^^  partly  clay,  this  kingdom  shall  be  divided,  and  shall  be 
*'  partly  strong,  like  iron,  and  partly  weak  as  clay,  and 
'■'  shall  not  unite  firmly  together.     But  in  the  days  of  these 


B.  C.  570:  of  the  liohj  Bible.  57 

*'  kings,  the  God  of  heaven  shall  set  up  a  kingdom 
*'  M'hich  shall  never  be  destroyed  :  and  that  kingdom 
"  shall  not  be  left  to  other  people  ;  but  it  shall  disperse 
♦'  and  consume  all  these  kingdoms,  and  it  shall  abide  for 
"  ever.  And  whereas  you  saw  that  the  stone  which 
*'  broke  the  image  in  pieces  was  cut  out  of  the  mountain 
"  without  hands,  the  great  God  hath  made  kno^vn  to  the 
"  king  what  shall  come  to  pass  hereafter ;  for  the  dream 
"  is  true,  and  the  interpretation  of  it  is  certain." 

Nebuchadnezzar  being  satisfied  by  the  discovery  of  his 
dream,  that  the  interpretation  must  be  true,  prostrated 
himself  on  the  ground,  and  worshipped  Daniel,  com- 
manding an  oblation  and  sweet  odours  to  be  ofl'ered  to 
him  ;  but  these  extravagant  honours  Daniel  piously  re- 
fused,* and  instructed  the  king  to  direct  his  devotions  to 
Jehovah  alone.  For  this  great  satisfaction  which  Daniel 
gave  the  king,  in  revealing  and  interpreting  his  dream, 
the  king  made  him  governor  of  the  whole  province  of 
Babylon,  and  chief  of  all  the  learned  men  ;  and  besides 
many  great  and  rich  presents  which  he  gave  him,  he  pro- 
moted his  three  friends,  Hananiah,  Mishael,  and  Azariah, 
W'ho,  by  deputation  from  Daniel,  were  to  oversee  the  affairs 
of  Babylon. 

Some  time  after  this,  the  king,  elated  with  his  success 
against  the  Jews>  Egyptians,  and  others,  and  elevated 
with  the  interpretation  of  his  dream,  which  compared 
him  to  the  golden  head  of  the  image,  ordered  a  statue  of 
gold  to  be  made,  thirty  yards  high,  and  of  a  proportion- 
able bulk.  This  stupendous  figure  he  caused  to  be  set  up 
in  the  plains  of  Dura,  and  summoned  his  subjects  of  all 
degrees  and  conditions  to  appear  at  the  dedication  of  it  ; 
at  which  time  proclamation  was  made,  that  when  the 
signal  was   given,    they  should  all  prostrate  themselves 


•  Refused.  Though  this  be  not  so  expressed,  yet  we  may  conclude  that  Daniel 
would  not  admit  of  such  profaneness,  from  the  king's  answering  Daniel,  ch.  ii. 
V.  47,  "  I  know  of  a  truth,  that  thy  God  is  a  God  of  gods,  and  a  Lord  of  kings,  and 
a  rev^aler  of  secrets,  seeing  thou  couldst  reveal  this  secret." 


38 


A  Complete  History 


B.  C.  570. 


and  worsliip  it,  upon  pain  of  being  thrown  into  a  burn- 
ing furnace.  This  order  was  obeyed  by  all,  except  the 
captive  Jews  :  which  some  of  the  Chaldeans  observing, 
they  complained  of  them  to  the  king  ;  and  not  caring  to 
meddle  with  Daniel,  who  at  that  time  was  the  chief  fa- 
vourite, they  impeached  Shadrach,  Meshach,  and  Abed- 
nego,  his  three  friends.  These  being  brought  before  the 
king,  peremptorily  refused  to  pay  adoration  to  his  image, 
assuring  him  they  trusted  in  a  God,  who  was  able  to  de- 
liver them  from  his  rage. 

This  presumptuous  answer  (as  the  king  took  it)  so  in- 
censed him,  that  he  commanded  them  to  make  the  fur- 
nace seven  times  hotter  than  it  was  before,  and  to  bind 
Shadrach,  Meshach,  and  Abednego,  and  cast  them  into 
it.  This  cruel  order  was  immediately  executed  ;  and 
though  the  heat  was  so  intense  that  it  burned  those  who 
threw  them  in,  yet  they  themselves  suffered  no  injury  ; 
but  the  bonds  with  which  they  were  tied  were  loosed,  and 
they  walked  freely  in  the  midst  of  the  fire. 

The  king,  at  a  secure  distance,  saw  this  execution ;  and 
the  fierceness  of  the  fire  abating,  he  in  great  surprise  and 
amazement  cried  out  ;  "  Did  we  not  cast  three  men  into 
"  the  furnace  ?  Behold,  I  sec  four  men  walking  at  large, 
"  without  any  hurt,  in  the  midst  of  the  fire,  and  the  form 
*'  of  the  fourth  is  like  the  Son*  of  God."  Then,  ap- 
proaching the  furnace,  he  called  to  Shadrach,  Meshach, 
and  Abednego,  and  said,  "  Ye  servants  of  the  most  high 
*'  God,  come  hither."  Upon  which  they  came  out  of 
the  furnace,  in  the  presence  of  the  king  and  all  his  atten- 
daais,  who  saw  them  unhurt,  without  so  much  as  a  hair 


*  Son  of  God.  That  is,  Angel  of  God  ;  for  so  he  is  called,  Dan.  iii.  28.  And 
in  other  parts  of  Scripture,  angels  are  called  the  sons  of  God,  as  Job  i.  6.  and 
xxxviii.  7. 

Some  conceive  that  Nebuchadnezzar  had  heard  from  his  pious  and  learned  cap- 
tives something  of  the  expected  Messiah — ^the  Son  of  God ;  and  had  borrowed 
some  notion  of  his  appearance  from  the  Chekubic  Figures,  taken  from  the  holy 
of  holies  which  were  now  in  his  possession,  and  from  Other  emblems  of  the  tem- 
ple, of  which  the  Man  formed  a  part . 


<( 
<( 


B.  C.  570.  of  the  Holy  Bible.  Z% 

of  their  heads  being  singed,  or  the  least  smell  of  tlie  fire 
about  them. 

The  haughty  king  was  now  convinced,  that  there  was 
a  more  powerful  being  than  himself,  who  could  protect 
his  servants  from  the  rage  of  the  most  insolent  and  ar- 
bitrary tyrant ;  and  therefore,  in  a  sudden  transport  of 
devotion,   he   cried  out,  "  Blessed   be   the  Lord  God  of 

Shadrach,.  Meshach,  and  Abednego,  who  hath  sent  his 

angel,  and  delivered  his  servants  that  trusted  in  him. 
*'  Therefore  I  decree,  that  those  who  shall  dare  to  blas- 
*'  pheme  the  God  of  Shadrach,  Meshach,  and  Abednego, 
"  shall  be  cut  in  pieces,  and  their  houses  shall  be  made  a 
*'  dunghill ;  because  there  is  no  other  god  that  can  de- 
*'  liver  after  this  manner."  Upon  this,  Daniel's  three 
friends  were  again  preferred,  to  the  great  mortification  of 
those  who  envied  their  former  promotion. 

And  now,  king  Nebuchadnezzar  being  freed  from  all 
the  toils  of  war  at  home  and  abroad,  indulged  himself 
in  the  pleasures  of  his  court,  and  quietly,  for  a  time,  en- 
joyed the  fruits  of  his  conquests ;  till,  at  length,  another 
dream  occasioned  fresh  disquiet ;  which  dream  being  per- 
fectly remembered,  and  concluding  that  his  own  people 
might  be  able  to  interpret  it,  he  sent  not  for  Daniel,  but 
for  the  Chaldeans ;  to  whom  he  related  his  dream,  but 
they  were  as  much  at  a  loss,  as  when  the  king  demanded 
of  them  the  discovery  of  his  former  dream,  which  he  had 
forgotten.  But  tlie  revealing  of  these  divine  secrets  was 
reserved  for  the  servants  of  God ;  and  the  king  meeting 
with  no  satisfaction  from  his  own  subjects,  sent  for  Da- 
niel, to  whom  he  recounted  his  dream,  which  was  thus  : 
"  I  saw  a  tree  of  a  prodigious  magnitude,  which  seemed 
"  to  reach  from  earth  to  heaven.  It  was  fair  and  full  of 
"  fruit,  yielded  shelter  to  the  beasts  and  fowls,  and  sus- 
**  tenance  to  all  flesh.  I  saw  also  an  angel  come  down 
"  from  heaven,  who  said  aloud.  Hew  down  the  tree,  cut 
"  off  the  branches,  shake  off  the  leaves,  and  scatter  the 
*'  fruit,  and  let  all  creatures  depart  from  it :  yet  let  the 
*'  stump   remain   in   the  earth,  with  a  band  of  iron  'ind 

brass,   in  the  tender  grass  of  the  field ;   and  let  it  be 
"  wet  with  the  de^\'  of  heaven,  and  let  his  portion  be 


a 


40  J  Complete  Hidorij  B.  C.  570. 


ti. 


with  the  beasts  in  the  grass  of  the  earth.  Let  his  heart 
*'  be  changed  from  that  of  a  man,  and  a  beast's  heart  be 
*'  given  him,  and  let  seven*  times  pass  over  him.  This 
"  is  the  decree  of  the  Holy  One,  that  the  living  may 
"  know,  that  the  most  High  ruleth  in  the  kingdom  of 
*'  men,  and  giveth  it  to  whom  he  pleases,  and  setteth  over 
'•  it  the  basest  of  men." 

Daniel,  having  heard  the  dream,  was  so  affected  with 
the  dreadful  judgments  that  it  portended  to  the  king,  that 
he  stood  silent  for  the  space  of  an  hour;  which  the 
king  observing,  and  guessing  the  true  cause  of  his  per- 
turbation, commanded  him  freely  to  disclose  the  iRterpre- 
tation  whatever  it  might  portend.  Then  Daniel,  address- 
ing himself  with  much  tenderness  and  concern  to  the 
king,  wished  that  this  inauspicious  dream,  and  the  inter- 
pretation might  affect  the  king's  enemies,  and  thus  inter- 
preted it  to  him. 

"  The  tree,  O  king,  which  thou  didst  see  in  thy  dream, 
•'  is  thyself;  for  thy  greatness  reaches  to  heaven,  and  diy 
*'  dominion  to  the  end  of  the  earth.  And  as  to  what  the 
*'  angel  said  of  he\ving  down  the  tred,  this  is  the  meaning 
"  of  it :  It  is  a  decree  of  the  Most  Hi2:h  which  is  deter- 
*'  mined  against  the  king ;  For  thou  shalt  be  driven  from 

men,  and  thy  dwelling  shall   be  with  the  beasts  of  the 

field ;  thou  slKilt  eat  grass  with  the  oxen,  and  shalt  be  wet 
*'  with  the  dew  of  hfeaven ;  and  seven  times  shall  pass  over 
"  thee,  till  thou  kno\\  est  that  the  Most  High  ruleth  in  the 
*■'  kingdom  of  men,  and  giveth  it  to  whomsoever  he  will. 


4C 


*  Seven.  By  seven  times,  some  think  are  meant  a  long  time,  which  in  Holy 
Scripture  is  signified  by  the  number  seven,  because  it  denotes  perfection  ;  as  if  it 
had  been  said,  until  a  perfect  or  full  time,  that  the  king  thus  brutified  should 
repent.  The  number  seven  is  sometimes  applied  to  weeks  ;  but  oftener  to  years, 
especially  in  the  prophecy  of  Daniel.  It  was  the  way  of  speaking  among  the 
Chaldeans,  and  a  year  was  the  most  common  measure  of  time,  especially  m  the 
Chronicles  of  the  Kings.  See  Dan.  vii.  25,  and  xi.  13,  but  some  are  of  opinion, 
tliat  tliese  psvon  yc3v~.  nt  the  prayer  of  Daniel,  were  changed  into  seven  months. 


fi.  C.  570.  of  the  Holy  Bible.  4L 

"  And  whereas  it  was  ordered  that  the  stump  of  the 
"  tree  should  be  left,  it  shews  that  the  kingdom  shall- 
"  be  sure  to  thee,  after  thou  shah  have  known  that  the 
"  Lord  of  heaven  doth  rule.  And  now  thou  hast 
"  heard  the  interpretation  of  thy  dream,  permit  me 
*'  humbly  to  ofier  my  advice ;  and  may  my  counsel 
"  be  acceptable  unto  thee.  Break  off  thy  sins  by 
"  righteousness,  and  thine  iaiiquities  by  shewing  mercy 
"  to  the  poor ;  if  it  may  be  a  lengthening  of  thy  tran- 
"  quillity." 

Nebuchadnezzar,  who  had  witnessed  the  fulfilment  of 
Daniel's  prophecies,  and  been  an  eye  witness  of  God's 
wonderful  power  and  providence,  might  have  been 
somewhat  depressed  in  mind  at  the  report  of  such  a 
judgment  pronounced  personally .  against  himself:  but 
instead  of  humbling  himself,  and  deprecating  the  di- 
vine sentence  by  repentance,  as  Daniel  advised  him, 
*'  his  heart  was  lifted  up,  and  his  mind  hardened  in 
**  pride."  About  a  year  expired  from  the  time  of  his 
remarkable  dream,  and  Daniel's  faithful  admonition, 
when  he  gave  full  proof  of  his  impenitence ;  for,  sur- 
veying the  strength  and  opulence  of  his  capital,  and 
the  vast  extent  of  his  dominions,  he  uttered  that  arro- 
gant, atheistical  speech — "  Is  not  this  great  Babylon, 
*'  which  I   have  built*  for  the  metropolis  of  my  king- 


•  Built.  Nimrod  is  said,  Gen.  x.  10,  to  be  the  first  founder  of  Babylon,  and 
undoubtedly  he  was  so.  But  Nebuchadnezzar  here  calls  himself  the  builder  of 
this  city,  as  those  who  alter  or  add  to  any  great  structures,  would  seem  to  be  re- 
puted the  first  founders,  and,  by  assuming  to  themselves  the  praise  due  to  others, 
extinguish  the  memory  of  their  predecessors.  At  first,  indeed,  Babylon  was  but 
a  little  city,  and  that  often  laid  waste  by  the  inundations  of  the  river  Euphrates, 
and  because  Semiramis  afterwards  very  much  enlarged  and  fortified  it,  and  beauti- 
fied it  with  many  ornaments  and  fine  buildings,  she  is  likewise  said  to  have  built 
it,  and  celebrated  as  the  foundress  of  it.  But  after  Semiramis's  time,  the  Assyri- 
an kings,  neglecting  Babylon,  built  Nineveh,  making  it  the  royal  residence,  and 
metropolis  of  the  Assyrian  monarchy  ;  and  Babylon  thus  deserted,  partly  by  the 
inundations  of  Euphrates,  and  partly  by  the  incursions  of  enemies,  became  igno- 
ble and  obscure.     At  last,  Nebuchadnezzar  having  destroyed  Nineveh,  made 

Vol.  II.  F 


42  A  Complete  History  B.  C.  569. 

*'  dom?"  'J'he  Mords  had  scarcely  passed  his  lips,  when 
a  voice  from  heaven  was  heard  to  say,  *'  Unto  thee,  O 
"  king  Nebuchadnezzar,  it  is  declared  ;  thy  kingdom  is 
"  departed  from  thee,  and  they  shall  drive  thee  from  the 
'*  conversation  of  men,  and  thy  dwelling  shall  be  among 
"  the  beasts  of  the  field."  And  immediately  he  was  dri- 
Acn*  from  the  company  of  men,  and  he  did  eat  grass  as 
the  oxen,  and  lived  like  a  brute. 

By  this  terrible  example  God  made  it  appear,  how 
severely  he  can  punish  the  pride  and  elevation  of  men's 
hearts,  by  debasing  those  persons  into  the  condition  of 
beasts,  who  by  their  arrogance  exalt  themselves  above  the 
state  of  men. 


Babylon  the  sestt  of  the  empire,  and  very  much  enlarged  and  beautified  it ;  for 
he  added  several  walls  to  it,  with  magnificent  gates.  In  th^t  part  where  the 
royal  palace  stood,  he  built  another  city,  which  he  inclosed  with  a  wall  of  vast 
i  readth  and  height,  where  he  had  those  famous  pensile  gardens,  so  celebrated  of 
old.  Though  authors  differ  very  much,  as  to  the  height  and  thickness  of  the 
walls  of  this  city,  yet  it  is  certain  they  were  prodigious  in  both,  Orosius,  and  all. 
owning  them  to  be  fifty  cubits,  which,  at  the  common  estimation,  is  seventy-five 
feet ;  so  that  what  Strabo  and  Curtius  relate,  viz.  that  chariots  could  pass  by 
one  another  on  the  top  of  the  walls,  may  reasonably  be  credited.  As  to  the  pun- 
ishment which  immediately  befel  Nebuchadnezzar  upon  this  vain  self-exaltation, 
he  may  by  this  act  be  said  to  have  hastened  it  upon  himself,  though  it  was  a  year 
before  foretold  by  Daniel  ;  for  by  emphatically  calling  himself  the  author  of  these 
mighty  things,  he  defrauded  God  of  the  honour,  by  whose  permission  he  became 
30  mighty,  and  capable  of  performing  them. 

*  Uriven.  Some  think,  that  this  being  driven  away,  was  his  own  shunning 
human  conversation  during  the  disturbance  of  his  mind,  which  made  him  betake 
himself  to  the  fields  and  woods :  others,  that  the  people  grown  weary  of  his 
tyranny,  conspired  against  him,  and  forced  him  to  fly  ;  which  last  seems  to 
derive  from  a  tradition  of  the  Hebrews,  who  say,  that  his  son,  Evil-n)erodach, 
affecting  the  throne  in  his  father's  life-time,  helped  to  depose  him  ;  which  is  not 
propable,  because  after  Nebuchadnezzar's  state  of  brutality  expired,  and  he 
came  to  himself,  his  subjects  desired  his  return  ;  but  it  may  be  supposed,  that  in 
his  absence  his  son  might  act  as  regent.  The  reason  of  the  variety  of  conjec- 
tures in  this  point  proceeds  from  the  distracted  history  of  the  Chaldeans,  who  in 
general  speak  of  the  reigns  of  their  kings,  but  seldom  mention  minute  circumstan- 
ces ;  for  lio  profane  writers  take  notice  of  this  part  of  Nebuchadnezzar's  life. 


B.  C.  562.  of  the  Holy  lUUc,  43 

^^'^hat  an  aficctiii}^  lesson  to  tlie  world,  and  espe- 
cially to  the  great,  did  this  degradation  of  the  mighty 
nionarch  aflbrd  !  It  was,  probably,  a  sudden  attack  of 
insanity,  by  which  he  was  thus  depressed — an  affliction, 
of  all  others  to  which  humanity  is  liable,  the  most  dis- 
tressing. And  who  is  so  wise,  or  so  great,  as  to  be  se- 
cure from  this  dreadful  malady  ?  How  little,  in  this  case, 
does  proud  man,  with  all  his  boasted  talents,  appear  !  In 
a  single  moment,  his  stores  of  learning,  however  ample, 
are  all  destroyed;  his  ideas,  however  just  and  accurate, 
are  erased,  like  writing  on  the  sandy  shore ;  his  posses- 
sions, however  vast  and  extensive,  rendered  totally  use- 
less ;  and,  he,  who  affected  to  rule,  as  the  lord  of  the  crea- 
tion, is  lowered,  in  the  scale  of  being,  to  a  level  with  the 
grazing  brute.  O  that  men  were  wise,  and  consideied 
their  dependence  on  Him,  "  in  whose  hand  is  our  breath, 
"  and  all  our  ways!" 

After  Nebuchadnezzar  had  continued  his  appointed 
time  in  this  sad  and  forlorn  condition,  he  lifted  up  his 
eyes  to  heaven,  and  God  was  pleased  not  only  to  restore 
him  to  his  understanding  and  form,  but  to  his  former 
state  and  dignity ;  for  which  he  made  this  thankful 
acknowledgment;  *'  I*  Nebuchadnezzar  do  praise, 
"  extol  and  honour  the  King  of  heaven,  all  whose  works 
**  are  truth,  and  his  ways  judgment;  and  those  that  walk 
"  in  pride  he  is  able  to  subdue," 

The  sacred  historian  has  not  informed  us  concerning 
the  character  and  conduct  of  this  monarch  at  the  close 
of  life.  We  presume  not  to  determine  whether  the  in- 
fluence produced  on  his  mind  was  permanent  or  not. 
He  had  before  professed  his  conviction,  that  the  God 
of  Daniel  was  the  only  true  God,  and  yet  afterwards 
relapsed  into  pride   and  idolatry,  by  which,   no   doubt, 


•  /,  &.C.  See  Dan.  Iv.  34.  Of  the  time  and  manner  of  this  king's  death  we 
have  no  account  in  the  Scriptures.  He  is  supposed  not  to  have  lived  long  aftei' 
his  restoration,  but  to  have  left  his  kingdom  to  his  son  Evil-merodach,  who  is 
thought  to  have  supplied  his  place  in  the  government  during  his  father's  state  of 
insanity. 


44  ^  Complete  History  B.  C.  561. 

his  sin  was  exceedingly  aggravated ;  but  charity  leads 
us  to  hope,  that  after  this  peculiar  visitation,  and  his 
recovery,  he  lived  and  died  a  true  penitent,  and  a  sin- 
cere worshipper  of  the  Lord  Jehovah. 

After  the  death  of  Nebuchadnezzar,  his  son  Evil- 
merodach  succeeded  him,  who  took  compassion  on  Je- 
hoiakim,  the  captive  king  of  Judah,  and  released  him 
from  his  imprisonment  in  the  thirty-seventh  year  of 
Ms  captivity,  treating  him  with  great  humanity  and 
respect,  allowing  him  an  honourable  maintenance,  and 
giving  him  the  precedence  of  all  other  princes  in  Ba- 
bylon. 

Evil-merodach's  reign  was  but  short,  continuing  but 
two  years,  at  the  end  of  which,  his  luxurious  son  Bel- 
shazzar  succeeded  him.  In  whose  first  year  Daniel 
had  his  vision  *  of  the  four  beasts  representing  the  four 
great  monarchies  :  and  in  the  third  year  of  this  same 
king,  Daniel  had  that  memorable  vision  f  of  the  ram.  and 
the  he-goat,  with  the  interpretation  of  them.  After  J 
which  this  luxurious  king  making  a  great  feast  for  his 
courtiers,  he  commanded  his  servants  to  bring  forth  the 
sacred  vessels  of  gold  and  silver,  which  his  grandfather 
Nebuchadnezzar  had  taken  out  of  the  temple  at  Jeru- 
salem, that  he  and  his  princes,  with  his  wives  and  con- 
cubines, might  drink  wine  in  them  :  which  accordingly 
was  done,  §  and  in  their  cups  they  sang  hymns  of  praise 
to  their  idols. 

Belshazzar,  thus  adding  impiety  to  his  excess,  so 
provoked   the  great  God  of  heaven  by  this  sacrilegious 


*  JDrcam.     See  Dan.  vii.  f  Vision.     See  Dan.  viii. 

\  After.  Thoiigh  these  visions  are  placed  after  the  luxurious  and  profane  ban- 
quet of  Belshazzar,  yet  in  order  of  time  they  should  come  before  ;  for  Daniel  teUs 
the  time  of  each  ;  as,  the  dream  was  in  the  first  year,  and  the  vision  in  the  third 
year  of  Belshazzar. 

§  Done.  The  city  of  Babylon,  was  at  this  time  besieged  by  Cynis  and  the 
Medo-Persian  army,  and  the  final  overthrow  of  the  Babylonian  empire  drew 
near,  as  had  been  long  decreed  and  foretold  in  the  councils  of  Providence.  See 
Isaiah,  ch.  xiii.  and  xiy.  Dan.  ch.  vii. 


€ 


B.  C.  538.  of  the  Holy  Bible.  45 

coiiit.  |)t  of  his  holy  worship,  and  the  profanation  of 
the  vessels  dedicated  to  his  service,  that  he  terrified 
this  prince  in  the  midst  of  his  luxurious  feast,  with  the 
appearance  of  a  hand,  which,  in  three  words,*  wrote 
the  sentence  of  his  condemnation.  Belshazzar  was  so 
much  astonished  and  terrified  at  this  dreadful  prodigy, 
which  a  guilty  conscience  suggested  must  needs  have 
a  fatal  design,  that  he  called  for  the  most  learned  of 
his  people  to  shew  him  the  meaning  of  it ;  but,  not- 
withstanding the  promised  reward  of  purple  vests  and 
chains  of  gold,  to  those  who  could  discover  this  mighty 
secret,  they  were  so  flir  from  interpreting  it,  that  they 
could  not  so  much  as  read  it.  This  occasioned  the  ut- 
most consternation  in  the  whole  court,  which,  the  queenf 
dowager  hearing,  came  immediately  into  the  banquet- 
ing-house,  and  informed  the  king,  that  he  had  a  man 
in  his  dominions,  named  Daniel,  in  whom  was  the 
spirit  of  the  holy  gods,  and  whom  his  grandfather,  :j; 
for  his  extraordinary  ability  in  that  respect,  had  made 
master  of  the  Magi,  \\\\o  would  shew  the  king  the 
interpretation  of  the  words  that  so  much  troubled  him. 
The  king,  rejoicing  in  the  prospect  of  discovering 
this  terrible  secret,  sent  for  Daniel ;  who  appearing  be- 
fore him,  and  slighting  the  honours  and  presents  the 
king  had  promised  in  case  he  could  interpret  the  words, 
addressed  him  to  the  following  effect :  That  since  he 
liad  not  humbled  himself,  nor  taken  example  by  his 
grandfather  Nebuchadnezzar,  who  for  his  pride  was 
chased   from  the  conversation   of  men,  and  reduced  to 


»  nreetuords.    p-|Sr  bpD  Hyo, 

f  ^(een.  This,  in  all  probability,  was  Nltocris,  the  queen  dowager,  the  relict 
of  the  great  Nebuchadnezzar. 

\  Grandfather.  Nebuchadnezzar  is  here,  Dan.  v.  11,  called  Belshazzar's  fa- 
ther, not  through  mistake,  but  after  the  manner  of  the  Chaldeans  and  Hebrews, 
who  commonly  call  grandchildren  and  great  grand  children  sons,  and  grandfathers 
and  great  grandfathers  fathers.  Thus  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob,  arc  called 
fathers,  after  many  generations  of  descents. 


n. 


46  j1  Complete  History         ,     B.  C.  558. 

the  sltiilc  of  bearjts  ;  but  had  hfted  up  himself  against  the 
Lord  of  heaven,  and  profaned  the  holy  vessels  dedicated 
to  his  service,  God  being  provoked  by  these  his  crimes, 
had  sent  a  hand  to  \vrite  upon  the  wah  his  condemnation 
in  these  tlyec  words,  MENE,  TEKEL,  UPHARSIN; 
which  Daniel  interpreted  thus  :  by  MENE,  God  hath 
numbered^  thy  kingdom ;  by  TEKEL,  thou  art  weigli- 
ed  in  tlie  balance  of  his  justice  and  art  foimd  too  light ;  by 
UPHARSIN,  thy  kingdom  is  divided,  and  given  to  the 
Medcs  and  Persians.  The  king  having  heard  this  dread- 
ful sentence  pronounced  by  Daniel, f  how  unvi^elcome  so- 
ever the  interpretation  was  to  himself,  yet  bestowed  up- 
on the  prophet  the  honours  promised  him,  causing  him 
to  be  clothed  m  purple,  with  a  chain  of  gold  about  his 
neck,  and  to  be  proclaimed  the  third  person  in  the  king- 
dom. 

As  to  the  fulfilment  of  this  prophecy,  God  immediately 
verified  it,  as  Daniel  had  predicted ;  for  the  same  night 
Belsha-zzar  king  of  the  ChaldeansJ  was  slain  §  God  mak- 
ing him  a  terrible  example  to  all  who  should  slight  his 
warnings,  hmden  their  hearts  in  sin,  and  profane  his  holy 
name. 

The  impious  Belshazzar  being  thus  overtaken  by  di- 


*  Numbered.     That  is,  the  term  of  thy  kingdom. 

•j-  Daniel.  Tliisprophet,  who  had  been  so  great  and  powerful  in  the  time  of  Ne- 
buchadnezzar, is  supposed  to  have  retired  from  court  during  the  reigns  of  Evilme- 
rodach  his  son,  and  Belshazzar  his  grandson,  and  in  those  five  years(at  least)  seems 
to  have  been  forgotten  by  all  but  the  old  queen,  widow  of  Nebuchadnezzar ;  during 
which  time  of  his  solitude  God  vouchsafed  by  wonderful  visions  to  discover  to  him 
the  successions  of  all  the  empires  of  the  world  until  the  blessed  kingdom  of  Christ. 

I  ChaLearis.     See  Dan.  v.  30. 

^  Slain.  Ey  the  Medes(under  the  conduct  of  Darius,  king  of  the  Medes,  and 
with  he  ^  f  Ip  of  his  son-in-law,  the  great  Cyrus)  who  at  that  time  besieged  Baby- 
lon. These  taking  the  advantage  whilst  the  Chaldeans  were  thus  revelhng  and 
overcharged  with  wine,  to  divide  the  river  Euphrates,  possessed  themselves  of  the 

c'.t^-.  and  surprised  the  court. 


B.  C.   537.  of  the  HoUj  Bible.  47 

vine  justice,  Darius,  the  Mcde,  assumes  tlie  tlu'one  ;*-  who, 
esteemiiii^  Daniel  as  a  person  titled  with  the  Spirit  of  God, 
bestowed  on  him  peculiar  marks  of  his  favour  ;  f(5r  at 
first  he  made  him  one  of  the  three  presidents  of  the  king- 
dom, and  intended  to  make  him  viceroy.  These  honours, 
so  properly  conferred  on  Daniel,  soon  excited  the  envy 
and  jealousy  of  the  other  presidents  and  princes,  wiic, 
thinking  it  too  much  for  a  captive  Jew  to  be  preferred 
above  them,  conspired  to  ruin  hini.  They  could  find  no 
fault  with  hii  public  administration,  for  he  was  perfectly 
jnst  and  iaittitul  in  all  things  that  concerned  the  king. 
Wherefore  concluding  they  should  never  find  any  tiling 
to  accuse  him  of,  except  in  the  matter  of  his  religion, 
they  resolved  to  lay  a  snare  for  him  in  that  respect.  And 
in  this  they  w^re,  at  first,  at  a  loss  how  to  bring  their 
malice  to  bear  against  him,  for  they  well  knew  the  king 
was  appr!:jed  of  his  piety  and  zeal  in  the  religion  of  his 
country,  and  that  he  stood  so  fair  in  the  royal  favour, 
that  they  dared  not  directly  attack  him  ;  and  liierefore 
they  struck  at  him  in  a  more  distant  way  ;  for  they  per- 
suaded the  king  to  publish  a  proclamation,  that  whoso- 
ever should  ask  any  petition,  either  of  God  or  man,  ex- 
cept of  the  king  only,  for  the  space  of  thirty  days,  should 
be  thrown  to  the  lions.  The  unwary  king,  not  suspect- 
ing any  fraud,  concluded  that,  bacause  they  assured  him, 
that  all  the  presidents,  of  whom  Daniel  was  the  first,  had 
agreed  to  it,  Daniel  had  consented  to  it,  taking  it  for  a 
testimony  of  their  affection  and  loyalty  to  him  at  his  ac- 
cession to  the  throne,  without  any  hesitation  consented  to 
it,  and  it  was  passed  into  a  decree. 

Though  Daniel  knew  that  this  wicked  law  was  levelled 


•  T/irone.  This  revolution  had  been  particularly  foretold  by  the  prophets  Isaiah, 
Jeremiah,  and  Daniel.  The  very  name  of  the  genera' — Cyrus,  was  prevl.iusiy de- 
clared, tw,>  hundred  years  before  ;  the  method  whereby  it  should  be  accomplished, 
&c.  &c.    See  Isa.  xiii.  6—22,  xxi.  2—10,  xli.  1,  Sec.  Jer.  1.  1,  8cc. 

Read  PrUeaux  Connexions,  part  1,  book  2,  and  bishop  i>o-:afir  onlsa.  .xiii.  21, 
and  45.  < 


48  A  Complete  History  B.  G.  537. 

at  him,  yet  preferring  the  law  of  God  to  that  of  men,  he 
continued  his  usual  course  of  praying  to,  and  praising  God 
three  iimes  a  day,  kneeling  upon  his  knees,  with  his 
chamber  v.  indow  open  towards  Jerusalem.  His  enemies, 
who  had  laid  this  snare  for  him,  soon  found  an  oppor- 
tunity to  betray  him  ;  for  having  taken  him  in  the  act  of 
praying,  they  presented  themselves  before  Darius,  and 
accused  Daniel  of  contempt  and  rebellion  in  disobeying 
the  king's  decree,  desiring  immediate  execution  of  the 
sentence  against  him.  The  king,  too  late,  perceived 
their  design,  and  being  vexed  at  his  easy  credulity,  in 
suffering  himself  to  be  thus  imposed  upon,  laboured  to 
have  the  decree  reversed ;  but  the  grandees  represented 
to  him,  that  the  royal  decrees,  according  to  the  law  of 
the  Medes  and  Persians,  were  unalterable,  and  that  there- 
fore the  penalty  Daniel  had  incurred,  being  irreversible, 
he  must  be  cast  into  the  lions'  den.  The  king's  weakness 
in  this  unjust  act,  gave  way  to  the  solicitations  of  these 
\i  icked  men  ;  and  though  Daniel's  piety  and  wisdom  had 
recommended  him  very  powerfully  to  his  favour,  yet  he 
thought,  in  honour,  he  couid  not  recede  from  his  word,  and 
therefore  delivered  Daniel  to  them,  at  the  same  time  unwit- 
tingly predicting,  that  the  God  whom  he  served  continually, 
would  preserve  him. 

— Daniel  being  thrown  into  the  den,  to  prevent  any 
means  that  might  be  attempted  for  his  escape,  a  great 
stone  w^s  laid  on  the  mouth  of  it,  and  sealed  not 
only  with  the  royal  signet,  but  \^"ith  that  of  the  lords  too. 
The  king  retired  to  his  palace  very  pensive,  where  he 
spent  the  night  in  great  anxiety  and  uneasiness  of  mind 
for  his  liU'ourite  Daniel  ;  and  early  in  the  morning  re- 
pairing to  the  den,  bct\veen  hope'  and  despair,  he  in  a 
melancholy  tone  called  to  Daniel  ;  "  O  Daniel,  servant 
"  of  the  living  God,  is  thy  God,  Vi'hom  thou  servest  con- 
"  tinually,  able  to  deliver  thee  from  the  lions  ?  Yes,  O 
"  king!  replied  Daniel :  my  God  hath  s|rnt  his  angel,  who 
"  hath  shut  the  lions'  mouths,  that  they  have  not  hurt  me, 
"  because  he  found  me  innocent  in  his  sight,  and  just  to 
"  thee."  The  king,  overjoyed  to  find  the  person  he  eo 
highly  valued  thus  miraculously  preserved,  ordered  him 


B.  C.   537.  of  the  Ilohj  Bible,  49 

immediately  to  be  taken  out  of  the  den,  and  at  tlie  same 
time  commanded  that  all  those  who  had  accused  Daniel, 
with  their  wives  and  children,  should  be  cast  into  the 
same  den,  which  was  immediately  done,  and  the  lions 
seized  and  tore  them  in  pieces,  before  ever  they  came  to . 
the  bottom  of  the  Den.  The  providence  of  God  appear- 
ing so  visibly  in  the  preservation  of  Daniel,  the  king 
published  a  proclamation,  "  That  in  all  parts  of  his  do- 
"  minions,  men  should  fear  and  tremble  before  the  God 
''  of  Daniel,  for  he  is  the  living  God,  and  abideth  for  ever. 
*'  His  kingdom  shall  not  perish,  and  his  dominion  shall 
"  always  endure.  He  delivereth  and  rescueth,  and  work- 
"  eth  signs  and  wonders  in  heaven  and  earth,  who  hath 
"  delivered  Daniel  from  the  power  of  the  lions." 

Daniel  lived  not  only  all  Darius's  reign,  which  was  se- 
venteen years,  but  also  in  the  reign  of  Cyrus,  the  first 
Persian  monarch.  In  whose  third  year,  he  had  that  ex- 
traordinary vision,  relating  more  especially  to  the  latter 
times  of  the  Jewish  state,  mentioned  in  the  tenth,  ele- 
venth and  twelfth  chapters.  Which  is  the  last  account 
the  sacred  text  gives  of  him ;  which  is  also  silent  as  to  his 
death,  though  he  is  said  by  others  to  have  died  a  natural 
death  in  the  land  of  the  Chaldeans,  and  to  be  honourably 
buried  there ;  being  laid  by  himself  in  the  royal  sepulchre. 
But  however  this  might  be,  it  is  certain,  he  lived  to  enjoy 
the  high  satisfaction  of  seeing  liberty  granted  for  the  re- 
turn of  his  captive  brethren,  and  for  rebuilding  the  tem- 
ple at  Jerusalem. 

There  are  two  stories  in  the  Apocrypha,  which  some 
add  to  the  book  of  Daniel,  making  that  of  Susanna's  be- 
ing accused  by  the  two  elders,  who  were  convicted  by  Da- 
niel, to  be  the  thirteenth  chapter  of  Daniel's  prophecy ; 
and,  according  to  the  Latin,  the  fourteenth  chapter  is  the 
discovery  which  Daniel  made  to  the  king  of  Babylon,  of 
the  idol's  not  eating  the  meat  that  was  set  before  him  in 
his  temple,  as  the  priests  of  that  false  god  persuaded  that 
prince ;  as  also  the  destruction  of  the  dragon,  which  the 
Babylonians  adored,  and  which  Daniel  caused  to  burst. 
As  to  the  time  of  these  two  stories,  the  first  is  said  to  hap- 
pen in  the  reign  of  Astyages,  who  being  called  the  last  king 

Vol.  n.  G 


% 


50  A  Complete  History  B.  C.  536. 

of  the  Medes,  tniist  be  that  Darius  the  Mede,  who  slew 
Belshazzar,  and  took  Babylon,  and  whom  Cyrus  imme- 
diately succeeded.  As  to  Darius  the  Mede's  being  called 
Astyages,  it  is  as  reasonable  to  suppose  him  to  be  the 
king  in  whose  reign  the  history  of  Susanna  is  related,  as 
to  allow  that  he  ^vas  called  by  other  names  ;  for  he  is  by 
the  Babylonians  called  Nabonides,  by  Herodotus,  Laby- 
net,  and  by  the  Greeks,  Darius  Mediss.  As  to  the  his- 
tory of  Daniel's  discovering  the  cheat  of  Bell's  priests, 
and  bursting  the  dragon,  by  the  latter  part  of  it,  which 
mentions  his  being  cast  into  the  lions'  den  against  the 
king's  inclination,  it  seems  to  be  the  same  story  with  what 
we  have  related  in  the  text  of  Daniel's  being  cast  into 
the  lions'  den,  and  his  deliverance  from  thence  ;  with 
some  addition  of  circumstances  in  the  beginning,  and 
want  of  others  in  the  end  ;  and  it  being  said  in  this  his- 
tory in  the  Apocrypha,  that  it  happened  in  Cyrus's  reign, 
there  must  be- a  mistake  in  the  transcriber,  and  Cyrus  is 
put  for  Darius ;  for  in  Dan.  vi.  the  text  says  positively, 
that  action  of  Daniel's  was  in  the  reign  of  Darius,  who 
had  promoted  Daniel. 

In  the  first  year  of  the  reign  of  Cyrus*  the  Persian,  it 
pleased  the  Lord  so  to  touch  the  heart  of  that  prince  (ac- 
cording to  what  had  been  foretold  by  the  prophet  Jere- 
miah) t  that  he  published  an  edict,  giving  leave  to  all 
the  Jews  to  return  to  their  own  country,  to  rebuild  Je- 
rusalem and  the   temple,  to  worship  their  God,  to  take 


•  Cyrus.  This  was  ttiat  Cyrus,  of  whom  the  prophet  Isaiah,  about  two  liuri- 
dred  years  before  the  birth  of  that  prince,  thus  speaketh  :  (Isaiah  xliv.  28.)  "  He 
saith  to  Cyrus,  Thou  art  my  shepherd,  and  he  shall  perform  all  my  desire,  say- 
ing to  Jerusalem,  Thou  shalt  be  built,  and  to  the  temple.  Thy  foundation  shall  be 
surely  laid."  This  Cyrus  being  already  king  of  the  Medes  and  Persians,  re- 
solving to  unite  the  Babylonian  monarchy  to  his  own,  marched  towards  that  city 
Avith  his  army  ;  took  Shushan,  or  Susa,  and  routed  Nabonides  in  battle.  After 
this  defeat  of  Nabonides,  or  Darius  the  Mede,  Cyrus  besieged  and  took  Babylon, 
by  which  he  became  master  of  all  the  east ;  which  till  then  had  been  divided  into- 
several  monarchies. 

'    f  'Jtnmiah,    See  ch.  xxi.K.  v.  10. 


B.  C.  535.  of  the  Holy  Bible.  51 

uith  thcni  their  gold,  their  silver  and  their  goods,  and 
beasts  for  saciifiec.  The  Jews,  who  had  long  wished  for 
that  happy  day,  prepared  to  set  forward  ;  and  Zoroljabel, 
a  prinee  of  Judah,  w  horn  Cyrus  had  appointed  to  ho.  their 
governor,  led  them  to  their  own  country,  consisting 
of  near  fifty  thousand  souls.  They  took  along  with  thcni 
all  the  vessels  and  utensils  of  the  temple,  which  had  been 
carried  to  Babylon  in  the  reign  of  Nebuchadnezzar, 
which  were  restored  to  them  by  express  order  from 
Cyrus. 

When  Zorobabel,  and  those  uneJer  his  conduct,  were 
come  into  Judea,  they  met  at  Jerusalem,  to  undertake 
the  re-building  of  the  temple.  The  foundations  of  which 
they  laid,  offered  sacrifices,  and  made  solemn  prayers  to 
God ;  and  kept  the  several  feasts  appointed  by  the  law\ 
It  was  in  the  second  month  of  the  second  year  of  their 
return  from  the  captivity,  that  they  laid  the  foundation 
of  the  temple,  which  was  begun  Mith  all  the  solemnity 
and  magnificence  that  the  circumstances  of  time  and  place 
would  admit :  but  some  of  the  ancients,  who  had  seen 
the  first  temple,  before  Nebuchadnezzar  caused  it  to  be 
demolished,  burst  into  tears,  when  they  saw,  by  the 
foundation  of  this,  how  much  inferior*  it  was  likely  to 
prove. 

Whilst  they  were  proceeding  with  the  temple,  the  Sa- 
maritans, who  were  planted  in  several  cities  of  Israel  in 
the  room  of  those  Israelites  that  Salmanasser,  king  of 
Assyria  had  long  before  carried  away  captives,  hearing 
that  the  people  of  Judah  had  begun  to  build  the  temple, 
came  to  the  governor  Zorobabel,  and  desired  to  join  with 
them  in  the  work,  alledging,  that  they  served  the  same 


*  Inferior.  The  Jews  say  that  the  second  temple  wanted  five  things,  which 
■were  the  chief  glory  of  the  first,  viz.  the  Ark  and  its  Furniture ;  the  Shecinah, 
or  cloud  of  the  Divine  Presence  ;  the  Holy  Fire  ;  the  Urim  and  Thummim,  and 
the  Spirit  of  Prophecy.  But  these  were  probably  not  the  reasons  of  that  mourn- 
ing which  was  made  by  the  ancient  Jews  when  the  foundation  was  laid,  but  their 
consciousness  that  a  few  poor  tributaries  would  never  be  able  to  erect  an  edifice  a( 
jiU  ec^ual  to  that  which  was  built  by  the  munificence  of  Pavid  and  Solomon. 


52  A  Complete  History  B.  C.  5^5. 

God  as  the  people  of  Judah  did.     But  the  Governor  and 
the  chiefs  of  the  families  of  Israel  would  by  no  means 
allow  them   to  have  any  share  in  this  work,  fearing  that 
they,  who  were  idolaters,  notwithstanding  they  pretend- 
ed  to  worship   the   God   of  Israel,    might   profane   the 
!^,     temple  with  idolatry.      This  refusal   so  exasperated  the 
"•^     Samaritans,  that,  from  that  moment,  they  made  it  their 
business  to  obstruct  the  carrying  on  the  work.     Notwith- 
standing which,  the  Jews  proceeded,  till  the  Samaritan.*? 
having,  by  bribes,  corrupted  some  persons  about  the  king, 
put  a  stop*  to  it,  which  continued  till  the  reign  of  Da- 
■•*5s         rius  i" 

Cyrus,  the  Persian,  having  taken  the  city  of  Shushan, 
in  the  territory  of  Babylon,  it  was,  by  his  successors, 
made  the  residence  of  the  Persian  monarchs.  Here  it  was 
that  Ahasuerus  solaced  and  regaled  himself  after  his  Egyp- 
tian expedition,  inviting  all  the  princes  and  governors 
of  his  provinces  to  an  entertainment  of  an  hundred  and 
fourscore  days ;  after  which  he  invited  the  inferior  peo- 
ple with  the  rest,  to  another  feast  which  continued  se- 
ven days.  Nor  was  this  feasting  only  among  the  men, 
but  also  among  the  women  ;  for  Vashti  the  queen  had 
'  provided  a  banquet  for  the  ladies  in  the  palace.  On  the 
last  day  of  this  feast,  the  king  in  a  frolic,  determined  to 


*  Stop.     This  stop  to  the  building  of  the  temple  may  be  supposed  to  have  been 
in  Cyrus's  time,  Esdr.  iv.  5. 

•j-  Darius.  This  must  be  Darius  Hystaspis;  and  the  Darius,  in  whose  second 
year  the  building  was  carried  en,  was  Darius  Nothus}Hp  whose  time  the  prophets. 
Haggai  and  Zechariah  prophesied,  and  not  before  ;  see  Esdr.  v.  1.  Indeed  if  it 
were  not  for  coteraporary  occurrences,  the  variety  of  names  given  to  several  kings, 
would  so  confound  the  chronology,  that  it  would  be  impossible  to  reduce  it  to  any 
certainty.  For  Cambyses  the  son  of  Cyrus  is  called  Ahasuerus.  To  him  the 
Samariians  sent  letters  to  stop  the  building  of  the  temple.  They  likewise  sent  to 
Magus  on  the  same  account.  This  prince  had  possessed  himself  of  the  Persian 
empire  after  the  death  of  Ahasuerus  ;  and  would  not  permit  the  Jews  to  rebuild 
their  city  or  temple.  lie  is  likewise  by  historians  called  by  several  names,  being,  in 
Esdr.  iv.  7,  called  Artaxerxes. 


B.  C.  514.  of  the  Holy  Bible.  53 

present  his  queen,  \\  ho  was  very  beautiful,  in  a  public 
manner,  to  his  numerous  guests,  and  sending  his  seven 
chamberlains  to  attend  her,  he  ordered  that  she  should  ap- 
pear with  the  erown  on  her  head. 

The  haughty  queen  disdaining  to  be  made  a  public 
spectacle,  refused  to  obey  the  king's  command,  which  so 
incensed  him,  that,  consulting  how  to  punish  her  for  this 
public  aftront,  it  was  agreed,  that  lest  this  act  of  the 
queen  should  be  brought  into  a  precedent,  she  should  be 
deposed  for  her  contumacy,  and  that  a  collection  of  the 
fairest  women  should  be  made  for  the  king  to  take  his 
choice  of  them. 

This  last  proposal  accorded  with  the  inclinations  of  the 
luxurious  monarch  ;  and  among  the  crowd  of  beauties  who 
were  brought  to  court,  none  pleased  the  eye  of  this  amo- 
rous prince  like  the  fair  Esther,*  She  was  of  the  Jewish 
race,  niece  to  Mordecai,  of  the  tribe  of  Benjamin.  This 
virgin  having  lost  her  parents,  lived  at  Shushan  with  her 
uncle,  at  the  time  when  queen  Vashti  was  deposed. 
Esther's  native  beauty,  and  sweet  disposition,  so  engaged 
the  fond  king,  that  he  set  the  royal  crown  upon  her 
head,  and  made  her  queen  instead  of  Vashti,  whom  he 
had  deposed.  At  the  celebration  of  his  nuptials  he  made 
a  feast  to  all  his  coun,  which,  in  honour  to  his  new  queen, 
he  called  Esther's  feast,  and  for  her  sake  not  only  made 
presents  to  his  guests,  but  remitted  the  tribute  of  all  his 
provinces. 


•  Esther.  As  to  the  author  of  the  book  of  Esther,  it  is  uncertain  who  he  was. 
Some  have  thought  it  was  written  by  Mordecai,  because  the  book  takes  notice, 
that  Mordecai  wrote  letters  to  all  the  Jews  on  the  fourteenth  and  fifteenth  of  the 
month  Adar  ;  but  it  is  not  said,  that  he  wrote  all  the  history.  It  is  more  likely, 
that  the  great  synagogue  caused  it  to  be  composed,  to  preserve  the  memory  of  that 
signal  event,  and  give  an  account  of  the  original  of  the  feast  of  lots,  Esth.  iii.  7, 
and  afterwaixls  added  it  to  the  number  of  the  sacred  books  :  it  was  first  written  in 
Kebrew,  as  we  have  it  in  the  nine  first  chapters  of  St.  Jerom's  version.  Some 
Grecian  Jew  afterwaids  made  additions,  which  have  been  inserted,  in  their  proper 
places,  in  the  Greek  version,  and  placed  all  together  by  St.  Jerom,  at  the  end  of  the 
book,  from  the  twenty-fomth  verse  of  the  tenth  chapter. 


54  A  Complete  Bistort/  B.  C.  514. 

Mordecai,  at  Esther's  first  going  to  court,  had  caution- 
ed her  not  to  discover  that  she  was  a  Jewess,  which  she 
carefully  observed  ;  and  it  might  be  her  uacle's  care  lest 
she  should  be  refused  by  the  king  on  account  of  her  being 
a  captive ;  for  the  same  reason,  probably,  he  took  care  to 
conceal  his  relation  to  Esther,  lest  it  might  be  disadvanta- 
geous to  her.  These  circumstances  induced  him  to  re- 
main a  contented  servant  at  court,  till  some  favourable  op- 
portunity should  be  offered  for  his  promotion  ;  and  this 
soon  occurred.  It  haj rxned  whilst  Mordecai  attended  at 
the  palace  gate,  he  obtained  the  knowledge  of  a  conspira- 
cy formed  by  two  of  the  chamberlains  to  seize  and  mur- 
der the  king.  This  he  immediately  communicated  to  his 
niece,  the  queen,  who  acquainted  the  king  with  it  inMor-, 
decai's  name.  Upon  which,  the  two  chamberlains  were 
seized,  convicted,  and  hanged,  and  the  whole  affair  re- 
corded in  the  Persian  annals  :  but  Mordecai  was  not  im- 
mediately noticed. 

About  this  time,  king  Ahasuerus  had  been  very  lavish 
of  his  favour  to  a  proud  Amalekite,  named  Haman,  whose 
merits  are  not  mentioned,  and,  it  is  probable,  they  might 
be  as  obscure  as  those  of  favourites  generally  are.  How- 
ever it  was,  Haman  is  advanced  in  honour  above  all  the 
princes  of  the  court ;  and  all  the  attendants  about  the 
king  paid  him  reverence,  except  Mordecai.  This  was 
not,  at  first,  observed  by  Haman  ;  but  some  of  the  at- 
tendants, who  were  desirous  of  obliging  the  court-fa- 
vourite, informed  Haman,  that  Mordecai  the  Jew  re- 
fused to  pay  him  reverence.  This  inflamed  the  haughty 
Haman,  v/ho  immediately  meditated  revenge  ;  but  such 
a  bloody  one,  as  nothing  between  man  and  man  could  de- 
serve •;  for  no  less  than  a  whole  nation*  must  bleed  to  atone 
for  the  petty  slight  put  upon  this  aspiring  wretch.     This 


•  Nation.  The  fifty  thousand  that  went  with  Zorobabel  to  rebuild  Jerusalem 
and  the  temple,  were  not  all  that  were  left  of  the  Jewish  nation,  for  we  may  ra- 
ther suppose,  that  they  multiplied  at  Babylon  instead  of  diminishing.  Ezra  the 
scribe,  and  several  others  returned  after  the  temple  was  finished  and  dedicated- 
See  Ezra  vii.  1. 


B.  C  514.  of  the  Hohj  Bible.  55 

was  a  great  as  well  as  a  a\  icked  undertaking ;  and  Haman, 
to  go  surely  to  work  in  it,  called  his  people  about  him, 
and  made  them  cast  the  lot  before  him  from  day  to  day, 
from  the  first  month  to  the  twelfth,  that  they  might 
know,  w  hat  month  and  day  would  be  most  propitious  to 
their  design.  So  that  Haman,  to  his  mortification,  was 
reluctantly  obliged  to  bear  with  Mordecai's  contempt  every 
day  for  a  whole  year. 

x\t  length,  however,  Haman  having  fixed  a  time,  ad- 
dressed the  king,  and  obtained  a  decree  to  put  all  the 
Jews  *to  death  throughout  the  king's  dominions.  For 
this  bloody  execution,  letters  were  dispatched  to  all  the 
governors  of  provinces  and  cities,  sealed  with  the  king's 
seal  ;  which,  of  course,  filled  the  poor  Jews  with  the  ut- 
most perplexity  and  terror,  but  especially  those  \\ho  re- 
sided in  the  royal  city  of  Shushan,  from  whence  this  de- 
cree was  issued.  None  in  that  place  was  more  sensible  of 
the  dismal  consequences  of  this  cruel  decree  than  Mor- 
decai  ;  who  rending  his  clothes,  and  putting  on  sack- 
cloth and  ashes,  went  through  the  city,  bemoaning  the 
hard  tate  that  threatened  him  and  his  countrymen.  This 
Avas  soon  taken  notice  of,  and  reported  to  the  queen  ; 
who  not  knowing  the  occasion,  sent  clothes  to  her  uncle, 
which  he  refused,  returning  information  by  the  messenger 
of  the  true  cause  of  his  mourning,  and  the  danger  which 
she  and  all  her  nation  were  in ;  and  that  unless  she  im- 
mediately repaired  to  the  king,  and  interceded  for  them, 
they  w  ould  all  be  cut  oiF. " 

Esther,  however  inclined  to  the  undertaking,  met  with 
a  difficulty  that  seemed  insurmountable,  for  there  was  a 
law,  forbidding  any  person  to  come  into  the  king's  pre- 
sence, widiout  special  order,  upon  pain  of  death.  Mor- 
deeai  returned  answer,  that  she  ous:ht  rather  to  run  the 
nazajd  of  her  own  life,  than  suffer  all  her  nation  ,to 
perish.  "I'his  roused  the  queen,  who  immediately  re- 
quested that  he  would  cause  the  Jews  in  Shushan  to  fast 
three  diiys,  as  she  herself  would  do ;  and  after  that,  she 
would  address  the  king,  though  it  was  against  the  law, 
let  what  would  happen. 

At  the  end  of  this  flist  she  dressed  herself  in  her  roval 


56  A  Complete  History  B.  C.  514- 

robes,  and  going  to  the  king's  apartment,  made  a  stop 
just  as  she  came  in  sight  of  the  king,  who  immediately 
held  out  his  sceptre  to  her,  and  asked  her  what  she  re- 
quested of  him.  This  encouraged  her  to  approach  nearer, 
and  when  she  touched  the  end  of  the  sceptre,  he  kindly 
assured  her,  that  he  would  grant  her  request,  though  it 
cost  half  liis  kingdom.  Upon  which,  she  declared,  that 
her  particular  wish  was,  that  the  king,  accompanied  by 
Haman,  would  do  her  the  honour  of  partaking  of  a  ban- 
quet which  she  had  provided.  This  request  was  so  much 
the  more  acceptable  to  the  king,  because  she  had  invited 
his  favourite  Haman  ;  who,  though  he  was  a  constant 
companion  of  the  royal  festivities,  was  not,  at  this  time, 
present  with  his  luxurious  master  ;  wherefore  the  king 
gave  order,  that  Haman  should  have  speedy  notice,  that  he 
might  attend  tlie  queen's  invitation. 

All  things  being  prepared,  and  the  guests  seated,  the 
king  was  so  well  pleased  \vith  his  entertainment,  that  he 
again  repeated  his  Ibrmer  promise  of  granting  the  queen 
whatsoever  she  should  ask,  even  to  the  half  of  the  king- 
dom. The  queen,  not  thinking  this  a  proper  time  to 
open  the  secret  to  the  king,  intreated  his  Majesty  and 
Haman  to  favour  her  with  their  company  once  more,  on 
the  following  day,  ^^hen  she  promised  to  present  her  re- 
quest. The  king  readily  consented,  and  so  the  company 
for  that  time  broke  up. 

Haman,  not  a  little  pleased  that  he  should  be  thus  dis- 
tinguished, not  only  by  the  king,  but  by  the  queen  too, 
formed  extravagant  notions  of  future  happiness  to  him- 
self, and  went  out  of  the  presence  so  elevated,  that  he 
expected  nothing  less  than  the  respect  due  to  him,  as 
the  second  person  in  the  kingdom.  As  he  passed  along, 
every  spectator  paid  him  the  most  profound  respect,  ex- 
cept Mordecai,  v.ho  took  no  notice  of  this  gaudy  gour- 
tier ;  which  stung  the  hauglity  favourite  to  the  heart. 
However,  he  concealed  his  rcsejitment,  and  when  he  was 
come  home,  he  began  to  pride  himself  in  his  prosperous 
condition,  and  recounling  to  his  family  .the  honours  the 
king  had  heaped  upon  him,  he  told  them  how  the  queen 
had  distinguished  him  abo\e  all  the  coint,  inviting  hin\ 


B.  C.  514;  of  the  Holy  Bible.  57 

only  to  accompany  tht  king  to  a  banquet,  and  that  to- 
morrow he  wiis  to  attend  her  again  upon  a  second  invi- 
tation. "  Yet,"  said  he,  "  what  pleasure  is  all  this,  so  long 
*'  as  I  see  the  hated  Mordecai,  who  shews  me  no  respect." 
His  friends  concurred  with  him  in  his  resentment,  and  to 
make  short  work  with  Mordecai,  advised  Haman  to  order 
a  gibbet  fifty  cubits  high  to  be  prepared,  and  to  petition 
the  king,  that  Mordecai  might  the  next  day  be  hanged  on 
it.  Haman,  who  vainly  imagined  the  king  would  not 
deny  him  such  a  trifle  as  the  life  of  a  wretched  Jew,  ap- 
proved the  project,  and  the  gibbet  was  erected. 

But  God  was  pleased  to  dispose  matters  otherwise  than 
this  proud  son  of  Agag  had  wished  :  for  it  happened  that, 
the  night  before  this  eutertainment  was  to  have  been 
given,  a  sudden  inquietude  seized  the  king,  so  that  he 
could  not  sleep  ;  wherefore,  to  divert  himcelf,  he  called 
for  the  annals  of  his  reign,  and  ordered  an  attendant  to 
read  them  to  him;  who,  coming  to  that  passage  which 
mentioned  Mordecai's  discovery  of  the  treason  of  the  two 
chamberlains,  who  had  conspired  against  the  king,  be 
asked,  what  reward  had  been  bestowed  on  Mordecai  for 
that  service  ?  They  told  him,  none.  Whereupon  the  king 
asked,  Who  waited  without  ?  They  told  him,  Haman  ; 
whom  he  ordered  to  be  called  in. 

Haman,  whose  resentment  had  kept  him  as  wakeful  as 
the  inquietude  of  the  king,  was  come  early  to  court,  to 
petition  that  Mordecai  might  be  hanged  on  the  gibbet  he 
had  provided  ;  and  being  called  into  the  presence  by  the 
king's  command,  he  doubted  not  in  the  least  of  having 
his  petition  answered.  But,  full  of  hope  as  he  was,  the 
king  prevented  him,  by  asking  him,  what  honour  should 
be  bestowed  on  the  man  whom  the  king  dehghted  to  dis- 
tinguish ?  Haman,  vainly  concluding  himself  the  happy 
man,  resolved  not  to  be  wanting  in  proposing  lavish  ho- 
nours, and  gave  his  advice  thus  :  "  Let  the  man,  whom  the 
*'  kins:  desiorns  to  honour,  be  clothed  in  the  roval  ffar- 
"  ments,  be  mounted  on  the  same  horse  which  the  king 
"  himself  is  used  to  ride  ;  let  the  royal  diadem  be  set  on 
"  his  head,  and  the  chief  man  in  the  kingdom  lead  the 

Vol.  II.  .         H 


58  A  Complete  History  B.  C.  514. 

*'  horse,  walking  before  him,  and  proclaiming,  Thus 
"  shall  it  be  done  to  the  man^  whom  the  king  delights  to 
"  honour." 

Haman  had  no  sooner  delivered  his  advice,  than  the 
king,  quite  contrary  to  his  hope  and  expectation,  or- 
dered him  to  get  the  horse,  apparel  and  diadem  ready, 
and  do  just  as  he  had  said  to  Mordecai  the  Jew,  charging 
him  not  to  fail  in  the  least  part  of  it. 

This  unexpected  stroke,  so  contrary  to  his  proud  and 
cruel  expectations,  cut  the  proud  Haman  to  the  heart ; 
but  the  king's  word  >vas  law,  and  he  knew  there  was  no 
disputing  it.  Therefore  he  was  obliged  to  obe}^  and  at- 
tend Mordecai  in  the  form  which  he  himself  had  pre- 
scribed, proclaiming  before  him  all  the  way  he  \\ent, 
'*  Thus  shall  it  be  done  to  the  man,  whom  the  king  delights 
"  to  honour." 

The  ceremony  being  concluded,  Mordecai  returned  to 
liis  post  at  the  palace  gate ;  and  Haman,  in  great  discon- 
tent, hastened  home  ;  w  here  he  related  to  his  family  the 
disgrace  he  had  suftered,  in  being  forced  to  do  honour  to 
his  enemy.  They,  considering  the  condition  of  the  man, 
told  him  the  fate  of  declining  favourites,  and  that  if  Mor- 
decai were  a  Jew,  he  would  rise  upon  liis  ruin. 

Whilst  they  were  entertaining  Haman  with  this  melan- 
choly presage,  messengers  came  to  hasten  him  to  the 
queen's  feast.  Where  the  king  being  come,  he  asked  her. 
as  before,  What  her  request  was?  She  answered,  "  It  was 
*'  mercy  for  herself  and  all  her  nation,  which  he,  by  the 
"  advice  of  a  cruel  enemy,  had  delivered  up  to  de- 
"  struction." 

The  king,  with  great  concern  asked  her,  who  had  been 
guilty  of  so  wicked  a  contrivance  ?  She  answered.  It  was 
Haman.  This  sentence  immediately  alarmed  Haman  ; 
which  the  king  observing,  and  looking  upon  him  with 
great  •  indignatJDn,  he  rose  from  the  banquet,  and  went 
into  the  garden  :  "Haman  also  rose,  and  taking  the  op- 
portunity of  the  king's  absence,  addressed  himself  to  the 
queen  to  save  his  life  ;  but  whilst  he  was  in  this  suppliant 
posture  the  king  returned,  and  seeing  Haman  so  near  the 


B.  C.  514.  of  the  Ihly  Bible.  59 

queen,  jealousy  su^^gestinj^  that  he  had  some  base  design 
on  her,  he  cried  out  in  a  rage,  *'  Will  lie  force  the  queen 
'*  before  my  l\ice'?" 

No  sooner  had  the  words  passed  his  lips  than  Haman's 
face  was  covered,  \\hich  was  a  sure  token  of  death  to  him, 
and  Harbonah  the  eunuch,  having  notice  of  f  laman's  de- 
sign upon  Mordecai,  told  the  king  that  Haman  had  pre- 
pared a  gibbet  fifty  cubits  high  to  hang  Mordecai  upon; 
which  the  king  hearing,  commanded  them  to  hang  Ha- 
man upon  it.  Execution  thus  done  on  Haman,  the  king 
gave  his  estate  to  the  queen,  which  she  resigned  to  Mor- 
decai ;  to  whom  the  king,  in  consideration  of  his  former 
services,  and  relation  to  the  queen,  gave  his  ring,  as  he 
had  before  done  to  Haman. 

But  notwithstanding  Haman  was  removed,  the  decree 
against  the  Jews  remained  in  force,  wherefore  the  queen 
desired  the  king  to  recall  it ;  which  he  not  only  granted, 
but  published  another  edict,  giving  leave .  to  the  Jews  to 
take  revenue  on  their  enemies  the  same  dav.  Pursuant 
to  that  order,  the  Jews  slew  their  enemies  and  persecutors 
in  Shushan,  in  which  number  fell  Haman's  ten  sons,  and 
throughout  all  the  other  cities  of  Assyria.  Ever  since  the 
Jews  ha\'e  kept  a  solemn  festival  in  memory  of  this  signal 
deli\'erance  on  the  fourteenth  and  fifteenth  of  the  month 
Adar,  which  was  called  the  feast  of  lots.  * 


*  Lots.  See  Esth.  iii.  7.  It  was  called  the  feast  of  Purim,  from  the  Persian 
word  Pur,  which  signifies  a  lot.  It  was  instituted  by  Mordecai  in  remembrance 
of  the  delivery  of  the  Jews  from  Haman.  by  whom  lots  were  cast  day  by  day,  and 
month  by  month,  for  their  destruction.  It  was  ordered  to  be  kept  two  days  for 
this  reason :  the  Jews  at  Shushan  had  two  days  allowed  them  to  revenge  them- 
selves of  their  enemies,  but  the  rest  of  the  Jews,  in  other  places*  had  but  one- 
This  caused  at  first  some  difference  in  their  time  of  feasting.  For  the  Jews,  in 
all  other  parts  of  the  kingdom,  having  done  execution  on  their  enemies  the  thir- 
teenth day,  kept  their  festival  on  the  fourteenth.  But  the  Jews  at  Shushan  be- 
jng  engaged  both  on  the  thirteenth  and  fourteenth  days  in  defending  themselves, 
kept  the  festival  for  their  deliverance  on  the  fifteenth  day.  But  afterwards,  when 
Mordecai  had  made  a  record  of  this  great  deliverance,  he  sent  letters  to  all  the 
Jews  throughout  the  dominions  of  Ahasuerus,  to  establish  it  as  a  standing  ordi" 


60 


j4  Complete  History 


B.  C.  514. 


In  this  very  remarkable  and  interesting  portion  of  his- 
tory, we  have  a  wonderful  display  of  the  divine  power 
and  goodness,  in  the  protection  of  his  ancient  people  the 
Jews,  and  in  baffling  the  crafty  and  cruel  projects  of 
their  enemies.  The  numerous  Jews  who  resided  in  the 
provinces  were  threatened  with  immediate  destruction. 
The  folly  of  the  king ;  the  obstinacy  of  the  queen ;  the 
advancement  of  Esther;  the  office  of  Mordecai;  the  am- 
bition of  Haman  ;  the  restlessness  of  the  monarch  ;  were 
all  links  in  that  chain  of  Providence,  by  which  the  Jews 
were  to  be  preserved  from  utter  ruin.  The  whole  is  an 
encouragement  to  the  church  of  God,  Avhen  oppressed 
and  persecuted,  to  trust  in  the  Lord,  who  "  knows  how 
*'  to  deliver  the  godly  out  of  temptation,"  and  to  effect 
for  his  people,  in  the  darkest  seasons  of  danger  and  dis- 
tress, exceedingly  and  abundantly  above  all  that  they 
ask  or  think.  Let  us  now  return  to  the  affairs  of  Jeru- 
salem. 

The  building  of  the  city  and  temple  of  Jerusalem  hav- 
ing been  delayed  for  many  years,  was  at  length  recom- 
menced in  the   second  year  of  Darius,*  at  the  insti- 


nance  among  them,  that  they  should  keep  both  the  fourteenth  and  fifteenth  days 
of  the  month  Adar  (which  was  the  twelfth  month  with  them  ;  and  takes  in  part 
of  the  twelfth,  and  part  of  the  first  month  wiih  us)  yearly,  as  the  days  whereon 
the  Jews  rested  from  their  enemies.  This  Mordecai  established,  and  being  next  in 
place  and  power  to  the  king,  he  wrote  to  the  Jews  about  it ;  and  queen  Esther, 
wrote  also  with  all  authority  to  confirm  his  letters.  The  Jews  thereupon,  in  all 
places,  took  it  as  an  obligation  upon  them  and  their  posterity,  that  they  would, 
without  fail,  keep  these  two  days,  at  the  appointed  time  every  year;  in  every 
family,  province,  and  city,  to  be  a  memorial  of  their  deliverance,  to  them  and 
their  posterity  forever.  In  these  two  days  they  read  the  history  of  Esther  in 
their  synagogues  ;  and  as  often  as  they  hear  the  name  of  Haman  mentioned,  they 
beat  with  their  fists  and  hammers  upon  the  benches  and  boards,  as  if  they  were 
knocking  upon  Haman's  head. 

Darius.  This  must  be  Darius  Nothus,  and  not  Darius  Longimanus,  whom 
some  will  have  to  be  Esther's  son;  for  the  prophets  Haggai  and  Zecharfch 
are  not  mentioned  till  Darius   Nothus's  reign,  in  the  second  year  of  which, 


/) 


( 


% 


B.  C.  4G5.  of  the  IhUj  Bible.  61 

gation  of  the  two  prophets,  Haggai  and  Ztchariah.  For 
being  discouraged  by  the  Samaritans,  and  the  prohibition 
from  the  court,  they  concluded  that  this  was  not  the 
time*  the  Lord  had  decreed  for  the  re-building  his 
house  :  though  at  the  same  time  they  took  care  to  build 
convenient  housesf  for  themselves.  For  this  the  prophet 
Haggai  reproved  them,  assuring  them  that  their  want  of 
success  in  other  aftairs  was  owing  to  their  neglect  in  not 
proceeding  with  the  Lord's  house.  This  roused  both 
the  governor  and  people,  who  being  sensible  of  their  neg- 
ligence, resolve  to  make  amends  by  their  future  obedience, 
resuming  their  work  with  great  alacrity  ;  and  to  induce 
them  to  perseverance  in  this  good  temper,  the  prophet 
Haggai  was  again  sent  to  them,  to  assure  them  that  the 
Lord  was  with  them  in  this  undertaking  :  and  that,  not- 
Avithstanding  the  former  temple  far  exceeded  what  this 
was  likely  to  be,  yet  if  they  continued  obedient,  he  would 
fill  this  house  with  greater:}:  glory  than  he  had  done  the 
former. 


the  building  of  both  city  and  temple  went  forward  ;  and  Darius  Longimanus  reign- 
ing thirty-nine  or  forty  years,  it  is  scarcely  probable  that  it  began  to  go  forward  in 
in  his  reign  ;  besides,  if  Darius  Longimanus  was  the  son  of  Esther,  it  may  give  oc- 
casion of  wonder,  that  so  good  a  woman,  and  so  zealous  a  Jew  as  Mordecai,  hav- 
ing such  interest  as  they  had  with  king  Ahasuerus,  should  not  have  promoted  that 
work.  \ 

*  Time.    See  Hag.  i.  2.  f  Houses.     Ibid.  ver.  4. 

\  Greater.  The  prophet  here  means  not  any  external  pomp  or  worldly  splendor ;  , 
for  in  those  the  old  temple,  built  by  Solomon,  far  exceeded  the  new,  at  the  best,  i 
But  he  means  by  the  greater  glory,  that  blessing  of  peace,  Hag.  ii.  10,  which  the 
world  enjoyed  at  the  birth  of  the  Prince  of  peace,  the  Saviourjof  the  world,  and  the 
actual  presence  of  the  king  Messiah  in  this  very  house ;  for  it  cannot  be  supposed, 
that  God  by  his  prophet  would  speak  so  magnificently  of  any  worldly  splendor, 
when  in  ver.  7,  8,  he  said,  he  would  "  shake  the  heavens  and  earth,  the  sea  and 
ianc^and  tliat  the  desire  of  all  nations  should  come."  And  undoubtedly  by  mov- 
ing the  nations,  ver.  8,  he  meant  the  calling  of  the  Gentiles,  which  by  Isaiah, 
and  other  prophets,  was  always  joined  with  the  comi-  g  of  the  Messiah  :  and  there 
fore  nothing  but  this  could  be  that  greater  glory. 


0 


62  A  Complete  History  B.  C.  464. 

Two  months  after  Haggai  had  prophesied,  and  earnestly- 
pressed  the  Jews  to  be  zealous  and  diligent  in  building 
the  temple,  the  Lord  raised  up  another  prophet,  Zecha- 
riah,  the  son  of  Barachiah,  to  encourage  them  in  their 
undertaking ;  in  which  neither  governor,  high-priest  nor 
people  were  wanting,  but  every  one  in  his  station  for- 
warded the  building  so  much,  that  it  was  nearly  finished, 
when  Tatnai,  king  Dariiis's  governor,  and  other  enemies 
to  the  Jev/s,  having  notice  of  what  they  were  doing,  came 
and  demanded  by  what  authority  they  rebuilt  the  temple 
and  the  wall  about  it,  and  demanding  the  names  of  the 
undertakers. 

Tatnai  and  his  friends,  expected  by  these  inquiries,  to 
have  alarmed  the  Jews,  and  oblige  them  to  desist  from 
their  enterprise,  but  the  elders  still  persisted  in  the  work, 
encouraged'  by  the  prayers  and  instructions  of  the  pro- 
phets. These  adversaries  disappointed  of  their  object, 
and  seeing  the  Jews  would  not  be  frightened  from  their 
work,  acquainted  the  king  with  the  whole  matter,  in  a 
letter*  to  this  purpose  :  "  That  going  to  the  province  of 
"  Judea,  to  the  house  of  the  great  God,  we  found  the 
"  building  in  great  forwardness.  Then  asking  the  elders 
''  of  the  people,  who  set  them  to  work,  and  their  names, 
"^  that  we  might  certify  to  thee,  O  king,  they  returned 
"  us  answer ;  that  they  were  the  servants  of  the  God  of 
"  heaven  and  earth;  and  were  rebuilding  the  house,  that 
'^  was  many  years  ago  built  by  a  great  king  of  Israel ; 
"  but  that  their  fathers  having  provoked  the  Lord  God 
"  of  Israel  by  their  accumulated  transgressions,  he  gave 
"  them  into  the  hand  of  Nebuchadnezzar,  king  of  Ba- 
"  bylon,  the  Chaldean,  who  destroyed  this  building,  and 
"  carried  the  inhabitants  captive  to  Babylon.  But  the 
'^  great  Cyrus  made  a  decree  in  their  favour,  empower- 
''ing  them  to' return  and  rebuild  their  city  and  temple, 
"  restorins:  to  them  all  the  sacred  vessels  and  utensils. 
"  Upon  this  encouragement  they  laid  the  foundation  of 
"  this  house  of  God,  that  is  in  Jerusalem  ;  which  is  now 


*  Letter.     See  Ezra  v.  7. 


B.  C.  4G3.  of  the  Holy  Bible.    »  63 

"  almost  finished.  If  the  king  therefore  please,  kt  search 
"  be  made  among  the  records,  that  we  may  know,  a\  hether 
*'  any  such  decree  was  made  by  Cyrus;  and  let  the  king 
"  direct  us  what  to  do  in  this  affair." 

Search  accordingly  was  made  ;  and  in  Ecbatane,  the 
decree  of  Cyrus  for  rebuilding  the  temple  and  city  of 
Jerusalem  was  foimd  ;  w^hich  when  king  Darius  had  read, 
he  gave  a  strict  charge  to  Tatnai,  and  his  other  officers, 
not  to  molest  or  disturb  the  Jews  in  their  work  ;  and,  to 
make  them  sensible  of  his  good  inclination  to  the  Jews, 
he  ordered  Tatnai,  and  his  other  governors,  to  ad\'ance 
money  out  of  the  several  tributes  in  their  districts  for 
that  use,  and  to  furnish  them  with  materials  for  the  same  ; 
and  if  they  wanted  beasts  for  sacrifice,  or  any  provisions  of 
corn,  salt,  wine,  or  oil,  to  distribute  to  them  according- 
to  the  direction  of  the  priests  that  were  at  Jerusalem  ;  and 
all  this  was  ordered  to  be  done,  upon  the  penalty  of  having- 
.their  houses  pulled  down  and  made  a  dunghill,  and  them- 
selves hansred. 

These  men  readily  complied  with  the  king's  command^ 
furnishing  the  Jews  with  all  necessaries,  and  the  work  went 
on  so  prosperously  and  speedily,  that  in  the  sixth  year 
of  Darius  it  was  finished.  After*  which,  those  of  the 
captivity,  and  those  whom  they  had  proselyted  from  the 
idolatrv  of  the  heathen,  celebrated  the  feast  of  the  dedi- 


•  After.  Before  this,  viz.  in  the  fourth  year  of  Darius,  the  Jews  in  captivir/ 
had  sent  a  message  to  Jerusalem,  to  know  how  they  were  to  behave  themselves  in 
relation  to  their  former  fasts,  now  that  the  temple  was  rebuilding  ?  (The  several 
fasts  they  had  kept  were  on  certain  mournful  occasions ;  as  particularly  that  fast 
in  the  fifth  month,  which  was  for  the  destruction  of  the  temple  ;  and  that  in  the 
seventh  month  for  the  murder  of  Gedaliah  their  governor,  Jer.  lii.  12,  andxli.  1, 
2.)  To  this  the  Lord  returned  answer  by  his  prophet  Zechariah,  ch.  vii.  v.  5,  &.c. 
"  That  they  had  not  in  those  fasts  observed  his  will,  (rather  deploring  their  cala- 
mitous condition,  than  humbling  themselves  by  repentance)  and  that  it  would 
please  him  better,  to  see  them  execute  true  judgment,  and  shew  mercy  and  com- 
passion one  towards  another,  and  abstain  from  oppressing  the  widow,  the  father- 
less, the  stranger  and  the  poor,  and  froin  imagining  evil  one  against  another. 


64  '  A  Complete  History  B.  C.  457,  X 

cation*  of  the  temple  with  great  joy,  offering  a  hundred 
bullocks,  two  hundred  rams,  four  hundred  lambs,  and 
twelve  goats,  according  to  the  number  of  the  twelve  tribes 
of  Israel :  and  having  settled  the  priests  and  Levites  in 
their  order  for  the  service  of  God,  they  kept  the  passover 
at  the  usual  time,  and  the  feast  of  unleavened  bread  seven 
days,  for  joy  that  the  Lord  had  inclined  the  heart  of  the 
king  to  encourage  and  assist  them  in  the  re-building  the 
house  of  the  Lord  God  of  Israel. 

The  temple  being  finished,  Ezra,t  a  priest  and  scribe, 
learned  in  the  law  of  God,  who  had  hitherto  continued  at 
Babylon,  with  others  of  the  captivity,  who  had  not  yet 
returned,  having  obtained  leave  of  the  king,  prepared  to 
go  to  Jerusalem.  To  this  the  king  not  only  readily  con- 
sented, but  gave  him  an  ample  commission!  to  take  M'ith 
him  what  he  should  think  necessary  both  for  his  journey 
thither,  and  service  there ;  furnishing  him  with  money 
to  buy  cattle  for  sacrifice,  provisions  of  corn,  wine,  oil 
and  salt,  and  giving  him  credit  to  take  of  his  treasures 
in  those  parts  to  the  value  of  a  hundred  \  talents  of 
silver :  besides  which,  he  gave  to  the  priests,  Levites, 
singers,  porters,  and  Nethinims,  ||  or  ministers  of  the 
house  of  God,  an  indemnity  from  all  toll,  tribute  or 
custom ;  empowering   Ezra  at  the  same  time  to  appoint 


*  Dedication.  The  feast  of  Dedication  is  termed  in  the  new  Testament  Enkai- 
nia,  a  feast  wherein  something  is  renewed:  because  those  things  only  are  reputed 
consecrated,  which  are  separated  from  their  common,  and  dedicated  to  some  new 
and  holy  use.  We  read  of  many  things  consecrated  in  the  Old  Testament ;  as  the 
tabernacle,  the  temple,  priests,  altars,  vessels,  and  garments :  but  there  was  no 
anniversary  or  yearly  solemnity  appointed  to  be  observed  in  remembrance  of  their 
consecration. 

■j-  Ezra.     See  his  genealogy  deduced  from  Aaron,  ch.  vii. 

I  Commission.     See  Ezra  vii.  12. 

J  Hundred,  &c.     That  is,  thirty-seven  thousand,  five  hundred  pounds. 

II  Nethinims.  These  were  under-ofHcers,  for  the  more  servile  work  of  the  tem- 
ple ;  such  as  the  fraudulent  Gibeonites  were  first  appointed  to. 


^ 


B.  C.  457.  of  the  Ilohj  Bible.  65 

magistrates  and  judges  over  the  people,  to  do  justice 
among  them,  and  instruct  those  that  knew  not  the  law  of 
God. 

Ezra  having  returned  thanks  to  the  Lord,  who  had  thus 
mercifully  inclined  the  king's  heart  to  beautify  and  adorn 
the  temple,  and  given  him  favour  in  the  eyes  of  the  king 
and  his  princes,  prepared  to  return  to  Jerusalem  with 
those  who  were  left  at  Babylon,  being  in  number  one 
thousand  four  hundred  and  ninety-six  males.  With 
these  he  took  his  way  by  the  river  that  runneth  to  Ahava, 
where,  encamping  three  days,  he  look  an  account  of  the 
people,  and  finding  no  Levites  or  Nethinims  among  them, 
he  sent  back  Eliezer  and  some  others  to  Iddo,  who  was 
chief  of  the  Nethinims  at  Casiphia,  requiring  him  to  send 
with  them  some  officers  fit  for  the  service  of  the  Lord's 
house ;  upon  which  they  brought  several  Levites,  and 
two  hundred  and  twenty  Nethinims  to  the  camp.  And 
now  Ezra,  considering  the  great  charge  of  money  and 
plate  they  had  with  them,  and  to  what  dangers  they  might 
be  exposed  in  their  march,  proclaimed  a  fast,  to  implore 
the  divine  protection  over  them  and  their  substance. 
For  though  he  might,  for  asking,  have  had  a  convoy 
from  the  king,  yet  remembering  he  had  told  the  king, 
that  the  hand*  of  their  God  would  be  upon  them,  he 
declined  it.  Therefore  having  fasted  and  prayed  on  thi§ 
occasion,  the}--  proceeded  ;  and  Ezra  having  delivered  by 
weight  to  twelve  of  the  priests,  the  gold,  silver,  and  ves- 
sels, which  the  king  and  his  counsellors,  and  others,  had 
given  him  as  an  offering  to  the  house  of  the  Lord,  he  en- 
joined them  to  keep  this  treasuref   safe,  till  they  came  to 


*  Hand.     See  Ezra  vil.  28,  and  ibid. 

f  Treasure.  This  treasure  was  of  a  considerable  value  :  for  there  were  six 
hundred  and  fifty  talents  of  silver,  which  at  three  hundred  seventy-five  poands  to 
the  talent,  make  two  hundred  forty-three  thousand  seven  hundred  and  fifty  pounds. 
The  silver  vessels  weighed  a-hundred  talents,  which  came  to  thirty-seven  thousand 
aud  five  hundred  pounds.  The  gold  in  coin  was  an  hundred  talents,  which,  at 
four  thousand  five  hundred  pounds  each, talent,  made  four  hnndred  and  fifty  thou- 

Vol.  LL  I 


66  J  Complete  His  for//  B.  C.  457. 

Jerusalem,  and  there  to  deliver  it  by  weight  to  the 
chief  of  the  priests  and  Levites,  as  they  had  received  it  of 
him. 

As  Ezra  had  apprehended,  they  were  in  danger  on  their 
march,  for  they  were  way-laid  ;*  but  God  was  with  them, 
and  preserved  them  ;  and  after  a  journey  of  four  months, 
they  arrived  safe  at  Jerusalem,  where  having  refreshed 
themselves  three  days,  they  delivered  the  treasure,  by 
Meight,  in  the  house  of  the  Lord  to  those  priests  who  were 
appointed  to  receive  it,  and  an  inventory  of  the  number 
and  weight  was  taken.  Tlien  they  offered  a  burnt-offer- 
ing of  twelve  bullocks  for  the  twelve  tribes,  ninety-six 
rams,  seventy  lambs,  and  twelve  he-goats.  After  which 
Kzra  delivered  the  king's  commission  to  the  officers,  who 
in  obedience  to  it,  furnished  the  people  with  ail  things  ne- 
cessary for  the  service  of  the  temple. 

Soon  after  this,  some  of  the  chief  Israelites  complained 
to  Ezra,  that  the  priests,  Levites,  and  people,  had  not  se- 
parated themselves  from  the  abominations  of  the  ancient 
natives  ;t  but  had  taken  their  daughters  for  wives  to 
themselves,  and  sons.  This  threw  Ezra  into  so  violent 
a  fit  of  grief,  that  he  tore  oft'  the  hair  of  his  head  and 
beard,  and  those  who  feared  God  among  the  people  as- 
sembled together  with  him,  and  lamented  deeply  the 
transgression  of  those  that  had  been  captives,  and  were 
lately  drawn  into  these  wicked  practices  ;  and  tlzra,  hav- 
iTig  continued  in  a  sorrowful  posture  till  the  time  of 
evening  sacrifice,  then  fell  on  his  knees,  and  spreading 
out  his  hands  to  the  Lord,  made  this  humble  coniessioni 
and  prayer. 


sand  pounds.     Besides  which,  there  were  twenty  basons  of  gold  of  a  thousand 
drams,  and  two  vessels  of  fine  copper,  as  valuable  as  geld. 

*  Way-laid.     See  Ezra,  viii.  "1. 

•\  Natives.  These  were  the  Canaanites,  Hittites,  Perizzites,  Jebusites,  Am- 
ironites,  Moabites,  Egyptians  and  Amorites  ;  with  whom  the  Israelites  were  ex- 
pressly forbidden  all  manner  of  conversation,  Deiit.  vii.  3,  &.c. 


\  Confcidon.     See  Ezra,  ix.  6. 


B.  C.  456.  of  the  Holy  Bible.  Cy 

'*  Our  trcsjwss  Is  so  great,  that  I  am  ashamed  to  look 
*'  up  to  thee,  O  Lord,  we  have  been  sinners  Ironi  the  be- 
"' ginning;  for  which  thou  didst  deUver  our  kings  and 
"  priests  into  the  hands  ot"  the  heathen  kings.  But  thou 
"  hast  shewed  us  favour  in  our  captivity,  and  inchned 
"  the  hearts  of  the  kings  of  Persia  to  be  inercilul  to  us, 
"  and  to  restore  us  to  Jerusalem.  And  now,  what  shall  we 
*'  say  for  our  ungrateful  disobedience  in  neglecting  thy 
"  commandments  '?  Thou  hast  forbidden  us  to  defile  our- 
"  selves  with  the  abominations  of  the  people  of  the 
"land;  to  marry  \hc\v  daughters,  or  partake  of  their 
"  wealth  ;  and  yet  we  have  broken  thy  commandment, 
"and  made  affinity  with  them.  Thou  mayest  jusdy  be 
^'  angry  with  us,   till  thou   hast   consumed  us  :    but  thou, 

O  Lord,  art  righteous,  for  we  remain,  as  appears  this 

day.     Behold,  we  are  before  thee  in  our  sins,  by  reason 

of  which  we  cannot  justify  ourselves." 

Ezra  having  ended  this  confession  in  a  shower  of  tears, 
the  Lord  was  pleased  so  to  influence  the  minds  of  the 
people,  that  they  likewise  wept ;  which  when  Shecaniah, 
a  man  of  condition  in  Israel,  observed,  he,  in  behalf  of 
himself  and  the  people,  thus  addressed  himself  to  Ezra. 
"  We  have  sinned  in  taking  strangers  to  our  wives  ;  yet 
"  considering  the  disposition  of  the  people  to  repent, 
"  there  is  hope  in  Israel,  that  God  will  be  merciful.  Let 
"  us  therefore  make  a  covenant  with  our  God,  to  put 
"  away  all  the  strange  \\'ives  and  their  children,  and  do 
"  thou  see  that  it  be  done  as  the  law  obligeth. " 

Ezra  accordingly  caused  proclamation  to  be  made 
throughout  all  Judah  and  Jerusalem,  that  they  should 
meet  at  Jerusalem  within  three  days,  upon  penalty  of 
confiscation*  of  all  their  substance,  and  excommunica- 
tion. Upon  the  summons  they  all  met  at  Jerusalem,  and 
standing  in  the  streets  they  trembled  partly  through  guilt, 
and  partly  through  cold,  for  it  was  a  very  wet  season. 
Then  Ezra,  repeating  the  occasion  of  their  assembling, 


Confiscation.     See  Ezra,  x.  8. 


68  A  Complete  History  B.  C.  445. 

they  promised  to  do  as  he  would  have  them  ;  but  desired 
him  to  consider  the  great  number  of  those  that  had  trans- 
gressed in  this  thing ;  the  inconveniency  of  the  wet 
season  ;  and  that  it  was  not  the  work  of  a  single  day. 
Therefore  they  desired,  that  their  rulers  might  answer 
for  them ;  and  that  all  they,  who  in  the  several  cities 
had  taken  strange  wives,  should  come  at  appointed  times, 
and  with  them  the  elders  of  every  city,  to  certify  that 
these  were  all  that  were  guilty  in  that  place  :  and  so  pro- 
ceed till  the  Lord  was  appeased.  This  was  approved  ; 
and  certain  cliief  men  of  Israel  were  deputed  to  inspect 
the  matter  till  it  was  finished  :  after  which  they  took  a 
list  of  all  that  had  taken  strange  wives,  and  obliged  them 
to  give  their  hands,*  that  they  would  put  them  away. 
Which  being  done,  they  offered  a  trespass-offering,  as  the 
lav/  required,  and  so  the  matter  was  concluded. 

Zerubabel  the  governor  being  now  dead,  and  the  ad- 
ministration of  civil  as  well  as  ecclesiastical  aifairs  passing 
through  Ezra's  hands,  God  was  pleased  to  relieve  him, 
by  joining  another  in  commission  with  him,  which  nas 
Nehemiahjf  a  captive  Jew,  and  a  favourite  of  the  king  of 
Persia.  It  happened  one  day,  that  Neheniiah  sav/  some 
men  of  Judah,  who  had  been  at  Jerusalem,  and  were 
come  back  a^ain  to  Chaldea.  He  asked  them  of  the 
welfare  of  their  brethren  that  were  in  Jerusalem  ;  who 
told  him,  that  they  were  in  great  affliction,  and  under 
great  reproach  from  their  enemies,  J  to  whose  insults  they 


*  J]^ands.  This  was  a  certain  ceremony  of  giving  security,  for  the  confirma- 
tion of-any  covenant ;  as  inEzek.  xvii.  18. 

•{•  NebeiAiah.  Some  will  needs  have  this  Nehemiah  to  be  the  same  with  Ezra  ; 
which  cannot  be  ;  for  he  was  a  companion  part  of  the  time  with  Ezra ;  and  his 
speaking  of  Ezra  in  the  third  person,  as  he  does,  ch.  vii.  ver.  65,  and  ch  .yiii.  ver. 
9,  and  of  himself  in  the  first  person,  ch.  i.  ver.  1,  shews  he  was  Nehemiah  dis'.inct 
from  Ezra. 

\  Enemies.  Probably  the  Samaritans,  or  other  enemies  of  the  Jews :  but  chief- 
ly the  Samaritans  who  opposed  their  rebuilding  the  ten^ple,  after  they  refused  to 
join  with  them. 


B.  C.  445.  of  the  Holy  Bible.  69 

Mere  daily  exposed,  because  llie  ^valIs*  of  tlie  clt)'  re- 
ir.ained  in  their  ruinous  condition,  and  the  gates  which 
had  been  burnt,  when  Nebuchuduczzur  took  it,  continued 
just  as  they  were. 

This  melancholy  account  drew  tears  from  Nehemiah's 
eyes,  and  preparing  himself  by  mourning  and  fasting,  he 
addressed  himself  to  God  in  prayer,  in  behalf  of  his  dis- 
tressed brethren  at  Jerusalem,  acknowledging  their  faults, 
deprecatii\g  the  judgment  of  God,  and  begging  a  favour- 
able audience  of  the  king,  to  whom  he  intended  that  day 
to  apply.  Nehemiah's  long  course  of  mourning,  and 
pungent  sorrow  for  the  sad  state  of  his  countrymen,  had 
produced  such  an  alteration  in  his  countenance,  that  when, 
in  rotation,  he  was  called  to  wait  on  the  king,  as  his  cup- 
bearer, he  observed  the  change,  and  demanded  the  cause 
of  it. 

At  first,  Nehemiah  was  struck  with  fear ;  but  consi- 
dering the  king's  favour  to  him,  he  embraces  the  oppor- 
tiHiit}',  and  discovers  the  true  cause  of  his  grief;  ob- 
servins:  that  his  countenance  could  not  be  otherwise  than 
sad,  ^vhilst  the  city  and  place  of  his  fathers'  sepulchres 
lay  waste,  and  the  gates  of  it  had  been  consumed  with 
fire. 

The  king  very  mildly  asked  him,  what  he  requested  of 
him  ?  Nehemiah  replied,  "  That  thou  wouldest  send  mc 
*'  to  Jerusalem,  the  city  of  my  fathers*  sepulchres,  that  I 
*'  may  re-build  it."  No  sooner  was  this  request  presented 
than  it  was  granted  ;  but  the  king,  unwilling  to  part  witli 
him  altogether,  demanded  how  long  time  it  would  re- 
quire to  go  and  return  :  Nehemiah  fixed  the  time ;  and 
tlie  king  dismissed  him,  with  letters  to  the  governors  of 
his  provinces  to  forward  him  in  safety  through  their  sc- 


•  Walls.  It  is  very  likely  that  the  walls  of  Jerusalem  had  not  been  rebuilt  from 
the  time  of  their  demolition  by  the  Chaldeans;  and  though  CyTus,  at  the  dis- 
solution of  the  captivity,  gave  permission  to  rebuild  the  temple,  yet  he  did  not  al- 
low the  same  for  the  city  ;  and  probably  for  this  reason,  because  they  were  very 
subject  to  revolt,  and  therefore  not  fit  to  be  trusted  with  fortifications. 


70  A  Complete  History  B.  C.  445. 

veral  dibtricts ;  and  to  the  keeper  of  his  forests  to  furnish 
him  with  what  timber  he  sliould  require,  not  only  for  the 
gates  and  beams  of  the  wall,  but  for  a  habitation  for  him- 
self to  dwell  in,  as  president  of  the  work,  so  long  as  he 
should  have  occasion  to  reside  there. 

Nehemiah  set  out,  well  attended  ;  the  king  having  or- 
dered a  party  of  horse,  commanded  by  several  officers, 
to  protect  him.  When  he  came  to  Jerusalem,  the  peo- 
ple, seeing  with  what  an  equipage  he  came,  received 
h.im  with  great  respe  ct ;  only  Sanballat,  an  officer  of  the 
Moabites,  and  Tobiah,  a  man  of  note  among  the  Ammo- 
nites, two  enemies  of  the  Jews,  hearing  that  he  came  up- 
on some  good  account  to  the  Israelites,  received  him  with 
indifference. 

Nehemiah,  however,  took  no  notice  of  them  ;  but 
having  refreshed  himself  three  days,  went  out  privately 
by  night  to  view  the  dilapidations  of  the  place,  which 
he  found  every  where  in  a  ruinous  condition.  Having 
thus  satisfied  himself  as  to  what  was  necessary  to  be  done,, 
he  summoned  the  Jews  together,  put  them  in  mind  of 
the  desolate  condition  in  which  they  were,  and  exhorted 
them  to  assist  in  repairing  the  breaches,  that  they  might 
be  no  more^exposed  to  their  enemies.  And  to  encou- 
rage them,  he  informed  them  how  gracious  God  had  been 
to  them,  in  gi^ing  them  instructions  in  this  affair,  and 
liow  favourable  the  king  had  been  to  him  in  it.  Then  re- 
lating to  thern-for  their  confirmation,  what  had  passed  bc- 
tvveen  the  king  and  himself  concerning  the  work,  he  shew- 
ed them  the  king's  commission.  This  so  revived  the  poor 
Jews,  that  they  joyfully  and  unanimously  cried  out,  "  Let 
"  us  rise  and  build." 

Sanballat  and  Tobiah  had  not  yet  any  notice  of  Nehc; 
miah's  commission  ;  and  seeing  the  people  begin  to  clear 
the  ground,  in  order  to  rebuild  the  walls,  they  in  ridicule 
asked  them  what  they  meant,  and  whether  they  had  a 
mind  to  turn  rebels  ?  Neliemiah  gravely  replied,  he  had 
sufficient  authoritv  for  what  he  did  ;  adding,  that  the 
God  of  heaven  would  prosper  them,  and  they  would  per- 
sist. "  But  for  you,  said  he,  you  have  nothing  to  do 
''  with  us,  for  you  have  no  right,  portion  or  monument 


B.  C.  444.  of  the  Holy  Bihlf.  71 

"  in  Jerusalem,  that  you  or  your  ancestors  did  ever  Ix?- 
'•  long  to  us."  Upon  this,  these  enemies  of  the  Jews 
were  forced  to  desist,  though  much  against  their  will,  Ibr 
they  durst  not  resist  the  king's  authority  ;  and  the  people 
Avent  on  heartily  with  the  building.  Eliashib,  at  the 
head  of  the  priests,  set  them  a  good  example,  for  they 
undertook  the  building  of  the  sheep-gate,*  which  was 
nearest  to  the  temple,  and  which  they  soon  finished  and 
dedicated.  In  imitution  of  them,  the  rest  of  the  people 
divided!  the  work  amongst  them ;  some  parts  Averc 
unciertiiken  by  private  families ;  some  by  corporations ; 
some  by  companies  or  trades ;  and  some  were  so  zealous, 
that  when  tlv.y  had  finished  one  piece,  they  undertook 
another ;  so  that  the  whole  work  went  on  speedily  and 
successfully. 

The  Jews  proceeding  so  cheerfully  in  this  work,  be- 
gan to  be  formidable  to  their  troublesome  neighbours ; 
but  none  resented  it  so  much  as  Sanballat  and  Tobiah, 
who  endeavoured  to  disturb  them,  by  incensing  the 
Samaritans  against  them ;  in  whose  hearing  he  said, 
•*  What  do  these  feeble  Jews  mean?  Will  they  fortify 
"  themselves?  Will  they  sacrifice?  Vrill  they  finish  in  a 
"  day  ?  W'lW  they  reduce  these  heaps  of  rubbish  to  a 
'*  regular  building?"  And  to  back  him,  in  a  scornful, 
satirical  way,  said,  *'  A  fox  will  demolish  this  wall 
*'  with  her  ibot."  These  reproaches  served  but  to  in- 
flame the  zeal  of  Nehemiah,  who  called  for  vengeance 
op  them  that  opposed  the  work ;  and  still  encouraging 
the  people  to  go  on,  in  a  short  time  the  wall  was  joined 
in  all  parts,  and  raised,  to  half  its  height.  This  roused 
Sanballat  and  Tobiah  hideed;  who  apprehending  them- 
selves in  danger  from  the  growing  greatness  of  the 
Jews,  resolve  to  put  a  stop  to  their  further  progress  m 
building.     In  order  to   which  they   engaged  in  a  close 


•  Sheep-gate.    It  was  so  called,  because  the  Sheep,  which  were  to  be  sacrificed, 
were  brought  through  it. 

■\  Divided.     See  Nehem.  ii. 


72  A  Complete  History  B.  C.  443. 

confederacy  with  the  Arabians,  Ammonites,  and  Ashdo- 
dims,  which  they  kept  secret,  intending  to  surprise  the 
Jews,  demolish  their  works,  and  put  them  all  to  the 
sword. 

This  conspiracy  was  not  long  a  secret ;  for  the  neigh- 
bouring Jews  having  notice  of  the  design  laid  against  their 
brethren,  informed  them  of  their  danger,  and  advised 
them  to  be  on  their  guard  ;  for  the  enemy  did  not  intend 
to  attack  them  openly,  but  to  surprise  them.  Nehemiah, 
upon  this  notice,  first  addressed  himself  in  prayer  to 
God  for  help  ;  and  then,  sending  out  scouts  to  observe 
the  motions,  and  discover  the  approaches  of  the  enemy, 
placed  a  guard  well  armed  with  swords,  spears  and  bows, 
to  defend  and  encourage  the  workmen.  After  this, 
Nehemiah  went  often  in  person  amongst  them,  arKi  by 
precept  and  his  own  example  encouraged  them  to  trust  in 
the  Lord,  who  had  hitherto  protected  them,  putting  them 
in  mind  that  they  fought  for  their  \\'ives,  brethren  and 
children. 

In  this  posture  of  defence  they  continued  till  they 
understood,  that  Sanballat  and  his  party,  finding  their 
design  discovered,  and  the  Jews  prepared  to  receive  them, 
had  laid  aside  their  expedition.  Upon  which  the  Jews 
returned  to  their  work,  but  with  such  caution,  that,  to 
prevent  any  surprise,  they  wrought  with  their  weapons 
by  them,  and  the  o\'crseers  of  the  works  stood  by  them 
with  their  swords  by  their  sides.  And  because,  by  rea- 
son of  the  length  of  the  wall,  the  workmen  v^'ere  obliged 
to  be  at  some  distance  one  from  another,  Nehemiah  had 
ordered  a  trumpet  always  to  j^ttend  him,  giving  instruc- 
tions to  the  people,  that  v\heresoever  they  should  hear 
the  sound  of  the  trumpet,  they  should  repair  thither 
to  relieve  them  that  were  engaged,  assuring  them  for 
their  comfort,  that  their  God  would  fight  for  them. 
And  to  let  them  sec,  that  himself  would  do  his  part  in 
this  work,  Nehemiah  and  his  guards  would  not  put 
off  their  clothes,  except  to  shift  themselves  for  wash- 
ing. 

But  whilst  they  were  all  thus  busily  employed  in 
building,  a  sort  of  mutiny  broke  out  among  the   com- 


B.  C.  443.  of  the  IIoUj  Bible.  7.3 

mon  people,  uliich  might  have  been  of  fatal  conse- 
quence, if  it  had  not  been  timely  composed.  The 
poorer  sort  of  people  being  continually  engaged  in  tlie 
public  buildings,  had  not  time*  to  cultivate  and  im- 
prove their  own  estate,  by  which  means  they  were  re- 
duced  to  great  straights,  and  provisions  became  very 
scarce  and  dear ;  and  the  rich,  who  by  the  lawf  ought 
to  have  supported  and  cherished  them,  oppressed  tiiem 
with  unreasonable  usury.  This  the  poor  Jews  had  long 
endured ;  having  in  this  time  taken  up  corn  upon  credit, 
and  not  being  able  to  pay,  were  forced  to  mortgage  their 
lands,  vineyards,  oli^•e-yards  and  houses,  to  buy  provi- 
sions ;  and  were  so  hard  pressed,  that  they  had  been  for- 
ced to  take  up  money  upon  their  lands  to  pay  the  king's 
tribute.:!:  But  that  which  w^ent  nearest  to  them  was,  they 
had,  by  the  unlawful  exactions  of  their  brethren,  been 
compelled  to  subject  their  dear  children  to  bondage,  and 
were  not  able  to  ransom  them,  because  the  rich  Jews  had 
their  lands. 

Nehemiah  was  very  much  troubled  to  hear  this  com- 
plaint, but  much  more  for  the  cause  of  it ;  and  to  put 
an  end  to  these  unnatural  and  unjustifiable  practices, 
he  summoned  the  people  of  all  degrees  and  conditions 
to  a  general  assembly;  where  he  severely  reproved  \\z 
richer  sort  for  oppressing  their  poor  brethren,  and  re- 
proaching them  by  his  own  example,  he  thus  ad- 
dressed himself  to  them  :  *'  According  to  our  ability, 
"  we   have   redeemed    our    brethren   the   Jews,    which 


.  *  Time.  This  scarcity  is  not  to  be  supposed  to  have  been  occasioned  fronr 
the  neglect  of  the  ground,  during  the  time  that  the  walls  of  Jerusalem  were 
rebuilding;  but  from  the  return  of  the  Israelites  from  Babylon,  when  they 
began  to  build  the  temple,  which  was  above  four  years  before.  Besides, 
the  building  of  the  wall  took  up  but  two  and  fifty  days.  See  Nehemiah 
vi.  15. 

f  Lavs.     See  Deut.  xv.  7,  8. 

\  Tribute.  To  this  all  the  Jews  were  subject,  Ezra  iv.  13,  except  the 
priests  and  officers  belonging  to  the  service  of  the  house  of  God,  Ezra 
vii.  24. 

Vol.  II.  K 


74  A  Complete  History  B.  C.  443, 

*'  were  sold  to  the  heathen;  and  will  you  sell  your  bre- 
"  thren,  or  shall  tliey  be  sold  to  us  ?"  This  was  so  home  a 
truth  upon  the  oppressing  Jews,  that  they  could  make  no 
reply  :  and  Nehemiah,  taking  the  advantage  of  their  con- 
fusion, told  them  they  did  ill  in  these  things,  and  made 
themselves  a  scandal  to  the  heathen  their  enemies,  advi- 
sing them  to  desist  from  these  base  practices  of  usury,  and 
restore  to  their  oppressed  brethren  their  lands,  vineyards, 
olive-yards  and  houses,  and  the  hundredth  part  of  the  mo- 
ney, corn,  oil  and  Avine,  which  they  had  exacted   from 
them.     The  accusation    being  true,  and   all   that  Nehe- 
miah had  urged,  matter  of  fact,  they  promised  to  restore 
them,  and   require   nothing  more  of  them ;  but  to  stand 
to  what   Nehemiah  should  decree.     Then  Nehemiah,  to 
hold  them   to   their  promise,  made   them  s\vcar  to   ob- 
serve it ;  and  to  oblige  them  to  a  strict   performance   of 
their   oath,  he   shook*  the  middle   part  of  his  vest,  by 
way   of  imprecation,    and    said,    "  So   God    shake    out 
*'  every   man   from  his   house,    and    from    his    service, 
"  that  performeth  not   this  promise  ;  even  thus  let  him 
"  be  shaken  out,  and  be  made  empty. "f     To  this  they 
all  agreed,  and  praised  God,  and  did  according  to  their 
promise. 

Nehemiah,    the    more    powerfully  to    enforce  his  ad- 
monitions  and    precepts,  did  not,  after  the  example   of  * 
the  former   governors,  liis  predecessors,  exact  the  daily 


*  Shook.  It  was  customary  with  the  prophets,  as  Isaiah,  Jeremiah,  &c.  not  on- 
ly to  address  themselves  to  the  people  by  words,  but  hy  signs.  Thus  here,  Nehera. 
V,.  13,  the  shaking  of  his  lap,  was  an  emblem,  that  they  who  violated  this  oath 
'  should  be  shaken  off  from  the  protection  of  God,  as  he  shook  his  lap,  by  which 
action  nothing  could  remain  there.  And  this  was  a  just  judgment  against  the 
covetous  usurers,  who  with  great  difficulty  could  be  persuaded  to  give  any  thing  of 
their  great  abundance  to  the  support  of  the  poor  :  but  God,  by  some  hidden,  or  un- 
foreseen punishment  or  accident,  could  shake  out  their  wealth,  though  against  their 
will,  to  the  relief  of  the  needy. 

•f  Empty.     That  is,  shall  be  deprived  of  all  the  fruit  and  product  of  his  labour 
and  income,  as  a  garment,  when  it  is  shaken,  has  nothing  in  it. 


—I  r 


B.  C.  443.  of  the  Holij  Bible, 

revenue  of  forty  shekels*  of  silver,  and  the  constant 
furniture  of  his  table  Milh  provisions  ;  but  remitted  them, 
and  all  other  advantages,  which  might  be  burdensome 
and  chargeable  to  the  peoj)le  :  and,  during  the  w  hole 
time  of  his  government,  w  lilch  was  twelve  years,  he  was 
so  far  from  purchasing  any  land,  or  reaping  any  benefit 
at  the  expencc  of  the  people,  that  he  not  only  refused 
the  allowance  which  was  due  to  him,  as  governor,  from 
the  people,  but  at  his  own  charge  kept  open  house, 
entertaining  daily  at  his  table  an  hundred  and  fifty  of 
the  Jews  and  their  rulers,  besides  strangers ;  for  which 
he  constantly  allowed  one  ox,  six  fat  sheep,  besides 
fowl  in  proportion,  and  every  tenth  day  wine  of  all  sorts. 
This  generous  treatment  of  Nehemiah  so  gained  the 
favour  of  the  Jews,  that  they  went  on  cheerfully  with  the 
work,  and  finished  the  wall,  only  the  gates  were  not  yet 
hung. 

'  The  successful  management  of  Nehemiah  in  carrying 
on,    and    finishing   this    mighty   wall,    set    the   restless 
minds    of   Sanballat,  Tobiah,    and   Geshem    at    work ; 
who,   concluding,    that   so   long   as  he   lived,    the  Jews 
would  be  too  powerful  for  their  neighbours,  re3olve,  by 
some  stratagem  or  other,  to   take    him  off,    which  they 
knew   by   open    force  they   were  unable  to  accomplish. 
Intending  therefore  by   an  outward   shew   of  civility   to 
betray  him,  they  sent  to  invite  him  to  a  conference  in 
one  of  the  villages  in  the  plain  of  Ono,  a  place  belong- 
ing to  the  tribe  of  Benjamin,  designing,  when  they  had 
him  there,  to  do  him  a  mischief.     But  w^hether   Nehe- 
miah suspected  their  malice  in  this,  or  Hot,  it  is  certain 
he  excused  himself  upon  the  account  of  the  great  work 
he  had  in  hand,  which  must  stop  if  he  should  be  absent :. 
und  therefore  he  sent  word  that  he  was  not   at  leisure. 
This  message  they  four  times  repeated,  and  he  as  often 
returned  them   the   same  answer ;  but  at  last,  Sanballat, 
perceiving   that  Nehemiah   was  too  cautious  to  be  en- 
snared  by   a    general  invitation,  resolves  to  try  him  by 


Forty  Shekels.     That  is,  fifty  shillings. 


76  A  Complete  History  B.  C.  443. 

a  more  personal  expedient,  that  should  immediately  con^ 
cern  him,  and  on  pretence  of  clearing  himself  from  an 
accusation,  of  no  less  than  treason,  oblige  him  to  come 
to  him.  Therefore  the  fifth  time  he  sent  his  servant  with 
a  letter  in  his  hand^  but  open,  to  this  purpose :  "  It  is 
"  reported  among  the  heathen,  and  Geshem  affirms  it, 
*'  That  thou  and  the  Jews  intend  to  rebel ;  for  which 
"  cause  thou  hast  built  this  wall,  that  thou  mayest  be 
"  their  king.  And  thou  hast  also  appointed  prophets  to 
"  preach  of  thee  at  Jerusalem;  and  to  say,  There  is  a 
'^  king  in  Judah.  These  things  thou  mayest  expect, 
"will  come  to  the  king's  ear  :  wherefore  come  now,  and 
"  let  us  consult  what  is  fit  to  be  done."  Nehemiah, 
conscious  of  his  own  innocence,  easily  saw  through  this 
shallow  contrivance,  and  being  resolved  to  make  an  end 
of  the  work  which  he  had  so  successfully  begun  and 
carried  on,  returned  this  short  and  contemptuous  answer 
to  the  perfidious  Sanballat:  "  There  are  no  such  things 
''  done  as  thou  sayest,  but  they  are  the  inventions  of  thine 
*^  own  heart." 

Sanbailat  and  his  friends  are  resolved  to  try  some 
other  way  to  betray  the  good  Nehemiah  ;  and  there- 
fore, bribing  to  their  interest  Shemajah,  the  son  of  Dc- 
lajah  the  priest,  who  was  a  friend  of  Nphemiah,  they 
doubted  not  to  succeed  at  last.  To  h^  house'^'She- 
majah*  repaired,  after  he  had  given  Sanballat  his  last 
ansv/er ;  but  found  him  shut  up,  under  j^retence  of  a 
•\'OW,  as  he  said,  for  the  safety  of  Nehemiah  ;  and  pre- 
tending to  prophesy  that  his  enemies  \vould  make  an 
attempt  to  murder  him  that  night,  he  would  have  per- 
suaded Nehemiah  to  go  with  him  into  the  inner  part  of 
thfe  temple,  and  secure*  themselves  by  shutting  the 
doors.  Nehemiah  did  not  at  first  apprehend  false  She- 
majah's  design  ;t  however,  from  a  sense  of  religion 
and  honour  he  declared  he  would  not  quit   his  station, 


*  Secure.    The  temple  was  much  stronger  than  the  city,  because  as  yet  tht 
gates  were  not  hung. 

"i"  Design.     Shemajah  might  do    this    to   render   Nehemiah    contemptible  to 
his  friends,    if  he    had   through   fear   gone   into    the   temple :    or   he   might 


B.  C.   445.  of  the  I lol J  Bible:  77 

telling  Shcmajah  w  ith  d'Lsdain,  it  did  not  become  a  man 
ill  his  ])Ost  to  take  refuge.  After  this  Nehemiah  diseo- 
\cred  the  w  hole  plot,  and  that  Shemajah,  had  been  bribed 
by  Sanballat  and  his  party  ;  and  God  preserving  him  from 
all  their  treachery,  he  in  t^\•o*■  and  fifty  days  completed 
the  whole  work  ;  v\  hich  so  affected  the  enemies  of  the 
Jews  with  fear,  that  they  concluded  that  a  work  so  great 
could  not  have  been  effected,  in  such  a  short  space  of 
time,  but  by  the  peculiar  providence  of  the  God  of  the 
Jews. 

Good  Nehemiah,  though  he  had  continually  sur- 
mounted all  the  difficulties  which  were  thrown  in  his 
way,  was  still  exercised  with  fresh  troubles  and  dangers  ; 
for  the  princes  of  Judah  held  a  correspondence  \vith  To- 


have  a  design  to  seize  Neliemiah's  person  when  once  he  had  him  within  the  tem- 
ple, and  with  the  help  of  other  conspirators  deliver  him  up  to  the  enemy.  Or 
that  by  his  thus  hiding  himself  he  might  encourage  the  enemy,  and  discourage  the 
Jews,  who  by  these  means  would  leave  the  work  unfinished. 

*  Tiao  and  Fifty.  Interpreters  have  not  yet  agreed  from  whence  to  begin  this 
computation.  Tremellius  and  Junius  would  begin  these  two  and  fifty  days,  after 
the  stone  wall  was  built.  Others,  that  they  began  after  Nehemiah  had  sent  his 
answer  to  Sanballat,  which  is  less  probable  than  the  other.  I  rather  incline  to 
think,  that  the  whole  work,  considering  the  many  hands  that  were  employed,  and 
the  diligence  that  was  used  in  it,  was  begun  and  ended  in  two  and  fifty  days  ;  nor 
can  there  be  much  more  time  allowed  for  it  •  for  it  was  in  the  first  month,  called 
by  the  Jews  Nisan,  that  Nehemiah  was  in  Babylon.  See  Nehem.  ii.  1,  and  ob- 
tained of  the  king  leave  to  go  to  Jerusalem.  And  though  we  have  not  an  express 
account  wliat  time  he  spent  in  his  journey,  and  when  he  arrived  at  Jerusalem,  yet 
if  we  may  make  conjecture  from  the  time  Ezra  spent  in  the  same  journey,  when 
he  came  from  Babylon  to  Jerusalem,  (allowing  for  the  delay  Ezra  had  at  the  ri- 
ver Ahava,  when  he  first  set  out,  Ezra  viii.  15  and  31,)  it  is  not  probable  that 
Nehemiah  arrived  at  Jerusalem  till  about  the  end  of  the  fourth  month  ;  for  though 
Ezra  set  out  from  Babylon  on  the  first  day  of  the  first  month,  he  did  not  reach  Je- 
rusalem till  the  first  day  of  the  fifth  month  :  and  from  thence  to  the  twenty-fifth 
day  of  the  si.>;th  month  may  make  out  the  two  and  fifty  days,  and  Nehemiah's 
three  days'  rest  before  he  began,  or  thereabout. 


78  J  Complete  History  B.  C.  445. 

biah,  as  they  had  all  along  done,  which  he,  by  intermar- 
riages had  so  improved,  that  they  not  only  gave  him  an 
account  of  what  passed  at  Jerusalem,  but  had  confirmed 
'  this  correspondence  and  friendship  by  oath.  Tobiah,  by 
these  means,  having  gained  a  strong  party  to  his  in- 
terest, tiiey  had  the  audacity  to  commend  him  in  the  pre- 
sence of  Nehemiah,  though  they  knew  him  to  be  an 
avowed  enemy  ;  and,  what  was  still  worse,  they  disco- 
vered Nehemiah's  counsels  to  him,  which  so  elevated  the 
vain  Ammonite,  that  he  thought  by  his  blustering  letters 
to  alarm  Nehemiah. 

These  things  increased  his  care,  but  not  his  fear ;  and 
therefore  to  prevent  any  treachery  from  his  enemies 
within  or  without  the  city,  he  gave  the  charge  of  the 
gates  to  his  brother  Hanani,  and  to  Hananiah,  marshal  of 
the  palace,  two  men,  in  whom  he  knew  he  could  con- 
fide ;  commanding  them  not  to  suffer  the  gates  to  be 
opened  till  some  time  after  sun-rising  ;  to  see  them 
safely  barred  at  night ;  and  to  set  the  watch,  which 
should  consist  of  settled  house-keepers,  that  were  dili- 
gent men.  After  this,  having  found  a  register  of  the  fa- 
milies ol  those  who  came  from  Babylon  first,  he  assembled 
the  nobility,  rulers  and  people,  to  make  a  muster*  of 
them  by  their  gentalogies.  By  this  register  some  were 
at  a  great  loss,  not  knowing  their  father's  pedigree :  and 
some  of  the  priests  also  were  at  a  loss  to  prove  their  ge- 
nealogy by  this  register,  and  not  being  able  to  ascertain 
it,  were  deposed  from  their  office,  as  polluted  ;  Nehe- 
miah not  permitting  them  to  eat  of  the  holy  things,  till 
there  should  appear  a  priest,  who  by  divine  inspiration 
shouM  determine,  whether  they  were  of  the  priestly  race 
or  not.     And  now,   considering  that  the  city  was  large, 


•  Muster.  There  is  some  diversity  in  the  account  of  families  given  in  Ezra  ii. 
and  Nehemiah  vli.  The  reason  of  which  difference  is  by  some  supposed  to  be,  that 
the  register  or  catalogue  in  Ezra  was  made  at  Babylon,  before  they  set  forward  : 
the  other,  which  Nehemiah  found,  was  made  at  Jerusalem, after  they  had  arrived 
there ;  and  alterations  might  happen  in  their  families  in  so  long  a  journer. 


B.  C.  445.  of  the  Holy  Bible.  79 

and  the  inhabitants  but  few,  it  was  agreed,  that  part  of 
the  people  which  did  not  dwell  at  Jerusalem,  should  by 
lot  choose  one  out  often,*  to  come  and  live  at  the  me- 
tropolis, to  be  an  additional  strength  to  the  place.  This 
was  looked  upon  as  so  tender  a  mark  of  affection  to  the 
public  good,  that  the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem  thanked 
these  men,  who  had  thus  readily  offered  themselves  to 
come  and  dwell  with  them. 

The  affair  of  genealogies  thus  settled,  the  governor f 
and  people  made  their  free-will  offerings  for  the  work 
of  the  Lord.  The  governor  presented  to  the  treasury  a 
thousand  drams  of  gold,  fifty  basons,  and  five  hundred 
and  thirty  priests'  vestments.  Some  of  the  elders  gave 
twenty  thousand  drams  of  gold,  and  two  thousand  two 
hundred  pieces  of  silver ;  and  the  rest  of  the  people  gave 
twenty  thousand  drams  of  gold,  and  two  thousand 
pieces  of  silver,  and  sixty- seven  vestments  for  the 
priests. 

The  affairs  of  the  Jews  being  reduced  to  this  happy 
condition  of  peace  and  order,  Ezra,  the  learned,  pious 
scribe  and  priest,  at  the  request  of  the  people,  produced 
the  book  of  the  law,  which  the  Lord  by  Moses  had  com- 
manded the  children  of  Israel  to  observe ;  and  standing 
in  the  street,  before  the  water-gate,  upon  an  eminence, 
tliat  he  might  be  seen  and  heard  by  the  people,  he 
opened  the  book  in  sight  of  them  all ;  at  which  they 
stood  up  :  and  having  given  thanks  to  the  Lord,  they 
all  lifted  up  their  hands,  and  cried,  Amen,  Amen ;  and 
bowing  their  heads,  they  worshipped  the  Lord  with  most 
profound  reverence.  The  company  being  divided  into 
several  parts,   Ezra,  with   thirteen   more,   read  and  ex- 


•  Ten.     See  Nehemiah  xi.  1. 

f  Governor.  He  is  called  in  Nehem.  vii.  70,  and  also  in  Ezra,  Tirshatha, 
which  in  Nehemiah  viii.  9,  is  explained :  The  word  Tirshatha  in  the  Persian 
and  Chaldean  tongues  signifies  a  governor  or  president.  Some  will  have  it  to  be 
a  Cognomen;  though  among  the  Chaldgaus  it  was  taken  for  a  name  of  magistracv- 
or  dignity. 


80  A  Complete  Ilistori/  B.  C.  444. 

pounded  the  law  to  them,  which  they  heard  with  such 
attention  and  devotion,  tliat  being  sensible  how  much 
they  had  transgressed  it,  they  mourned  and  wept.  But 
Ezra  and  his  assistants  comforted  them,  telhng  them, 
that  it  ^vas  not  a  time  for  them  to  mourn  and  weep,  be- 
cause it  was  a  day  *  holy  to  the  Lord  God  ;  but  bid  them 
be  cheerful,  and  eat  and  drink  of  the  best,  and  send  part 
of  their  provisions  to  the  poor,  for  whom  nothing  was 
provided.  The  people  readily  obeyed,  and  "went  their 
way. 

The  next  day,  the  chief  of  the  fathers  of  all  the  people 
assembled  again  to  be  further  instructed  in  the  law ;  and 
upon  search  it  was  found,  f  that  the  children  of  Israel 
should  dwell  in  booths,  in  the  feast  of  the  seventh^  month, 
and  that  they  should  cause  proclamation  to  be  made  in  all 
other  cities,  as  well  as  in  Jerusalem. — That  the  people 
should  go  forth  and  gather  olive-branches,  pine-branches, 
myrtle-branches,  palm-branches,  and  branches  of  trees 
thick  with  leaves,  to  form  booths. 

The  people,  who  were  now  become  very  sensible  of  the 
danger  of  transgressing  the  law,  by  the  woful  experience 
of  their  ancestors,  and  some  by  their  own,  immediately 
went  out  and  collected  branches  to  make  themselves 
booths ;  some  upon  the  tops  of  their  houses,  others  in 
their  courts  ;  some  in  the  courts  of  the  temple,  and  others 
in  the  streets.  And  this  feast  they  celebrated  with  great 
solemnity  and  joy ;  and  so  much  the  more,  because  it  had 
not  been  observed  from  the  days  of  Joshua  ^  till  now ; 
which  was  above  a  thousand  years. 

On  the  four  and  twentieth  day  of  the  same  month  the 
Jews  assembled  again,  but  upon  a  different  occasion  ;  for 
they  appeared  in  sackcloth,  with  earth  upon  their  heads, 


*  Day.     Because  it  was  the  Sabbath. 

f  Found.    See  Levit.  xxiii.  40. 

I  Seventh.    This  was  the  feast  of  tabernacles 

i  yoshua.     See  Nehemiah  viii.  17, 


B.  C.   443.  of  the  Holy  Bible.  81 

fiisting'  and  mourning,  confessing  their  own  sins,  and  de- 
precating the  judgments  due  to  their  iniquities,  and  to 
those  of  their  lathers.  Then,  acknowledi^ing  the  omni- 
potence of  God,  in  creating  and  preserving  all  things, 
and  enumerating  his  gracious  mercies  to  their  fathers, 
from  the  time  of  the  covenant  made  with  Abraham,  they 
recognized  all  the  grand  instances  of  his  providence,  in 
delivering  them  from  their  enemies  and  persecutors ; 
and  deploring  their  fathers'  and  their  own  disobedience 
and  rebellion,  they  acknowledged  that  they  were  deserv- 
edly liable  to  his  justice.  Finally,  they  made  a  covenant 
with  the  Lord,  that  they  would  walk  in  his  law,  which 
was  given  by  Moses.  And  to  oblige  them  to  the  more 
strict  performance  of  this  covenant,  it  was  engrossed, 
and  the  princes,  priests  and  Levites  set  their  seals  to  it. 
And  those  who  did  not  set  their  seals,  of  whatever  age, 
sex  or  condition,  bound  themselves  with  an  oath  tq  ob- 
serve it. 

Nehemiah  having  settled  the  affairs  both  of  church  and 
state  in  Jerusalem,  according  to  his  promise  to  the  king, 
returned  to  the  court  at  Babylon ;  where  he  had  not  con- 
tinued above  a  year  at  most,  before  the  Jev/s  relapsed 
into  their  old  corruptions,  and  became  very  irregular. 
All  which  was  owbig  to  the  mismanagement  of  EHashib 
the  high-priest ;  who  having  the  charge  of  the  treasury, 
and  being  allied  to  Tobiah,  the  Jews'  great  enemy,  had 
prepared  an  apartment  for  him  in  the  temple,  in  the 
place  where  they  used  to  deposit  the  offerings,  and  other 
hoi}*  things,  appointed  for  the  service  of  the  temple  and 
priests. 

This  intimacy  between  Eliashib  and  Tobiah,  was  the 
occasion  of  much  mischief  and  confusion  ;  for  by  con- 
versing with  the  heathen,  they  soon  broke  the  covenant 
they  had  so  lately  made,  profaning  the  sabbatH,  and 
mixing  in  marriage  with  them.  So  that  when  Nehemiah 
returned  to  Jerusalem,  he  found  all  in  the  utmost  dis- 
order. It  was  matter  of  great  concern  and  grief  to  him, 
to  see  the  people  led  away,  and  debauched  in  their  prin- 
ciples, by  a  man  that  was  an  open  enemy  to  them  ;  and 
that  an  apartment  should   be  prepared  in  the  house  of 

Vol.  II.  L 


82  A  Complete  History  B.  C,  440, 

God,  for  one  that  was  a  declared  enemy  to  his  worship. 
This  so  inflamed  the  zeal  of  good  Neheiniah,  that  he  was 
resolved  to  put  an  end  to  these  irregularities  ;  but  the  cor- 
ruption having  become  so  general,  he  found  himself  un- 
der the  necessity  of  using  caution  in  bis  design,  to  prevent 
tumult ;  for  he  found  that  Tobiah  had  insinuated  himself 
into  tiie  good  opinion  of  most  of  the  people,  and  especi- 
ally those  of  note. 

The  first  step  which  he  took  towards  this  reformation, 
to  convince  them  of  their  errors,  was,  in  causing  the 
book  of  the  law  to  be  read  publicly  in  the  hearing  of  the 
people ;  in  which  it  was  found,  "  That  the  Ammonite* 
"  and  the  Moabite  should  not  come  unto  the  congrega- 
*'  tion  of  God  for  ever;  because  they  met  not  the  chil- 
"  dren  of  Israel  with  refresh  meut  of  bread  and  water,  when 
"  they  came  out  of  Egypt^  but  hired  Balaam  against  them, 
"  to  curse  them  ;  though  God  turned  the  curse  into  a 
"  blessing." 

The  people  no  sooner  heard  this  part  of  the  law,  but 
they  were  sensible  of  their  transgression  ;  and  to  shew 
their  readiness  to  reform,  they  separated  from  the  mixed 
multitude.  This  gave  Nehemiah  an  easy  opportunity  of 
getting  rid  of  Tobiah,  who  was  an  Ammonite  :  for  the 
law  being  positive,  and  the  people,  by  his  prudent  con- 
duct, disposed  to  obey  it,  he  threw  Tobiah's  furniture 
out  of  the  sacred  chamber,  caused  it  to  be  cleansed,  and 
brought  the  vessels  of  the  temple,  with  the  offerings  and 
incense,  into  it  again.  And  finding  that,  in  his  absence, 
the  allowance  of  the  Levites  had  been  withdrawn,  and 
that  they  were  forced  to  quit  the  ministerial  service  and 
betake  themselves  to  the  country  for  maintenance,  Ne- 
hemiah expostulated  with  the  rulers  concerning  this  ne- 
glect of  the  service  of  the  house  of  God  ;  and  bringing 
back  the  Levites  to  their  offices,  he  ordered  the  people  to 
bring  in  the  tithes  of  corn,  wine  and  oil  into  the  treasury, 
and  appointed  treasurers  and  deputies  to  receive  and  dis- 
tribute them. 


Ammonite.    See  Niimb.   xxii.  5,  6,  and  Deut.  xxiii.  3,  4. 


B.  C.  440.  of  the  Holy  Bible.  83 

The  next  grievance  the  pious  governor  liad  to  redress, 
was  the  profanation  of  the  sabbath  ;  on  which  day  the  Jews 
had,  during  his  absence,  done  all  manner  of  servile  work, 
treading  their  wine-presses,  and  bringing  in  their  corn, 
wine,  grapes,  figs,  and  all  manner  of  burdens  into  Jerusa- 
lem upon  asses,  as  on  common  days  :  and  they  not  only 
did  this,  but  suffered  strangers,  the  Tyrians,  to  bring 
fish,  and  all  manner  of  wares,  and  sell  them  on  the  sab- 
bath in  Jerusalem.  Against  these  irreligious  and  profane 
practices  Nehemiah  warmly  protested,  saying,  "  What  an 
"  evil  thing  is  this  that  you  do  in  profaning  the  sabbath- 
"  day  !  Did  not  your  fathers  do  thus  ;  and  did  not  our 
"  God  bring  all  this  evil  upon  us,  and  upon  tiiis  city  for 
*'  such  things  ?  Yet  you  bring  more  wrath  upon  Israel, 
*'  by  profaning  the  sabbath."  And  to  convince  them  that 
lie  was  determined  to  make  a  thorough  reformation 
amongst  them,  he  issued  a  strict  order,  that  towards  the 
evening  before  the  sabbath,  the  city  gates  should  be  shut, 
and  not  opened  till  the  sabbath  was  over  ;  and  that  this  or- 
der might  be  duly  observed,  he  appointed  some  of  his  own 
servants  to  guard  the  gates,  and  suffer  no  burden  to  be 
brought  in  on  the  sabbath-day.  The  chapmen  and  mer- 
chants, who  came,  as  usual,  over  night  with  their  goods, 
were  surprised  to  find  the  gates  shut  against  them  ;  and  be- 
ing thus  disappointed  were  obliged  to  take  up  their  lodging 
Avithout  the  walls  of  Jerusalem.  This  they  did  once  or 
twice,  though  Nehemiah  reproved  them  for  it ;  wherefore 
he  at  last  told  them,  if  they  attempted  to  repeat  the  of- 
fence, he  would  apprehend  them.  Upon  which  they  de- 
sisted :  but,  suspecting  that  they  might,  by  some  con- 
trivance or  other,  attempt  it  again,  he  commanded  the 
Levites  to  cleanse  themselves,  and  take  up  their  station  at 
the  gate,  and  guard  it  diligently,  that  the  sabbath-day 
might  be  kept  holy.  Thus  with  great  care  and  difEculty 
this  good  man  once  more  established  the  worship  of  the 
Lord  at  Jerusalem. 

Nehemiah,  as  was  observed,  upon  his  return  from  Ba- 
bylon to  Jerusalem,  in  order  to  convince  the  Jews  of 
their  transgressions,  caused  the  book  of  the  law  to  be 
read  before  the  people,  which  expressly  declared  against  all 


84  A  Complete  History  B.  C.  440. 

conversation  with  the  Ammonites  and  Moabites  ;  and  the 
people  accordingly  separated  from  the  mixed  multitude. 
But  the  case  of  mixed  marriages  with  the  heathen  had 
taken  such  deep  root  that  Nehemiah  found  it  a  difficult 
^matter  to  eradicate  it  :  for  which  cause,  he  in  nothing 
expressed  a  warmer  zeal  than  against  these  forbidden  mar- 
riages, M'hich  were  made  between  the  Jews  and  other  na- 
tions, and  which  he  well  knew  had  in  former  ages  be- 
trayed the  Israelites  into  idolatry  and  other  abomina- 
tions ;  the  fatal  consequence  of  which  he  was  at  this  time 
the  more  active  to  prevent.  Finding,  therefore,  that  they 
had  not  so  thoroughly  reformed  as  they  promised,  and 
that  there  were  among  them  some  Jews  who  had  married 
wives  of  Ashdod,  Ammon,  and  Moab ;  whose  children, 
he  observed,  spake  a  language  half  Ashdodite  and  half 
Jewish,  but  neither  perfectly,  he<5^ated  with  them  on  the 
imreasonableness  of  this  mixed  marriage,  and  the  visible 
consequence  of  it  in  the  broken  mongrel  speech  of  their 
children,  who  in  time  would  quite  forget  their  native 
language.  This  he  argued  warmly  with  them,  and  they 
so  insolently  defended  themselves,  that  he  was  provoked 
to  curse*  them  ;  and  they  persisting,  he  smotef  some  of 
them  ;  and  being  incensed  to  the  last  degree,  he  plucked 
their  hair  :|;  oif,  and  made  them  swear  by  the  Lord  that 
they  should  not  any  more  mix  in  marriage  with  tlie  hea- 
then nations  :  "  For,  said  he,  did  not  Solomon,  king  of 
*'  Israel,  sin  by  doing  these  things?  Though  there  was 


•  Curse.  We  are  not  to  ascribe  this  to  extreme  anger  or  private  resentment ; 
l^ut  he  acted  as  the  minister  of  God,  in  declaring  the  curses  of  his  word  against 
such  atrocions  and  hardened  transgressors. 

•j-  Smote.  This  was  usual  among  the  Jews,  their  malefactors  being  buffeted  ei- 
ther by  the  lictors  or  the  mob.     See  Matt.  xxvi.  67. 

\  Hair.  The  depriving  the  head  of  its  natural  ornament  was  a  special  punish- 
ment among  the  ancients  ;  as  among  the  Athenians  it  was  part  of  the  punishment 
for  adiJterers  ;  and  Nehemiah  seems  to  have  inflicted  this  as  a  punishment  on 
them  for  their  wantonness  and  luxury ;  which  he  did  in  this  manner,  that  the 
guilty  might  see  their  liberty  changed  into  a  state  of  slavery.  For  baldness  was  a 
symbol  of  servitude,  as  hair  was  of  libqny,  and  it  so  continues  among  the  eastern 


B.  C.  -415.  of  the  IIulij  Bible.  85 

"  no  king  amon^^  the  licathen  like  unto  him  ;  though 
*'  he  was  beloved  of  his  God,  who  made  him  king  over 
"  all  Israel ;  }  et  he  was  betrayed  Ijy  strange  women  to 
"  commit  idolatry.  Is  it  reasonable  then  that  we  should 
"  imitate  your  example,  to  do  this  great  evil,  to  trans- 
*'  gress  against  our  God,  in  marrying  strange  w-ives  ?" 
And  to  shew  himself  an  impartial  judge  in  his  adminis- 
tration, he  made  no  distinction  of  quality  or  condition 
among  them,  for  he  punished  all  alike,  w^hom  he  found 
guilty  ;  an  instance  of  which  was  one  of  the  sons  of  Jo- 
jada,  the  son  of  Eliashib  the  high-priest;  who  having; 
married  the  daughter  of  Sanballat  the  Horonite,  M'as  by 
Nehemiah's  command  expelled  the  city.  Then  praying 
to  God  to  do  justice  on  those  that  defiled  the  priesthood, 
and  violated  the  covenant  between  the  priests  and  Le- 
vites,  and  the  Lord,  he  proceeded  to  purge  the  place 
from  all  profanation  of  strangers,  appointing  the  priests 
and  Levites  their  several  apartments  and  offices,  setting 
out  the  wood  for  the  offering,  and  taking  care  of  the 
first-fruits. 

In  this  happy  condition  did  this  good  man  leave  the 
Jews ;  but  notwithstanding  his  pious  care  and  pains  to 
reform  them,  they  soon  after  his  death  returned  to  theii* 
former  wicked  courses,  as  appears  by  the  expostulutory 
reproaches  of  Malachi;*  whom  the  Lord  not  long  after 


nations,  and  in  China,  particularly  since  their  subjugation  to  the  Tartars,  to  this 
day.  / 

It  was  likewise  a  token  of  mourning,  see  Isaiah  xv.  2,  and  Ezek.  xxvii.  o7- 
But,  in  general,  baldness  was  a  mark  of  extreme  ignominy  afnong  the  Jews.  Yet 
in  this  case  here,  Nch.  xiii.  25,  it  may  look  like  a  symbol  of  purgation,  which  was 
used  by  the  Levites,  Lepers,  and  foreign  women  taken  in  war,  before  they  were 
Joined  in  marriage  with  the  Jews. 

•  Malachi.  He  was  one  of  the  three  prophets  whom  Gcd  raised  up  for  the 
comfort  of  the  Jews  after  the  captivity,  and  was  the  last  of  those,  of  whom  we 
have  any  writing,  or  mention  in  the  Old  Testament.  After  him  there  was  none 
till  John  Baptist  was  sent*  which  was  either  a  token  of  God's  wrath,  or  an  ad- 
monition, that  they  should  with  more  fervent  desire  look  for  the  coming  of  the 
Messiah. 


S6  A  Complete  His  tori/  B.  C.  415. 

commissioned  to  reprove  them.  He  having  at  first  de- 
monstrated the  particular  esteem  of  God  to  the  house  of 
Israel  in  preferring*  them  to  that  of  Esau,  taxes  them 
with  their  ingi-atitude,  and  neglect  of  his  worship,  but 
more  especially  his  priests,  whom  he  charges  with  irre- 
ligious and  profane  approaches  to  the  altar ;  with  cor- 
rupting the  covenant  of  Levi,  and  by  giving  an  ill  ex- 
ample in  themselves,  they  had  occasioned  many  to  fall 
from  the  law.  After  which  he  threatens  to  judge  them 
for  all  their  sins,  particularly  for  marrying  with  the  hea- 
then, and  mocking  God  with  their  vain  shews  and  pre- 
tences of  religion,  whilst  they  were  notoriously  guilty  of 
sorcery,  adultery,  perjury,  and  oppression.  He  charged 
tlie  people  with  sacrilege,  in  detaining  the  tithes  and  of- 
ferings ;  which  being  a  part  of  the  law,  and  appropriated 
to  the  maintenance  of  the  priests  and  Levites,  could  not 
be  detained  without  manifest  violence  and  injustice ;  for 
which  he  severely  reproached  them.  After  this  he  gives 
a  hint  of  God's  calling  the  Gentiles;  promising  the  com- 
ing of  the  messenger  of  the  covenant,  whom  they  all  de- 
sired. "  Then,"  says  he,f  "  shall  the  offerings  of  Judah 
"  and  Jerusalem  be  acceptable  unto  the  Lord,  as  in  old 
"  times."  And  for  the  comfort  of  the  good  and  pious, 
who  had  persevered  in  their  duty,  and  stedfastly  believed 
God's  word ;  he  declared,  that  God  would  not  forget  his 


*  Preferring.  Here  mMalachi.i.  3,  God  is  said  to  have  hated  Esau,  and  in 
other  places  the  word  hate  is  used  in  a  severer  sense  than  the  original  allows.  For 
translators  should  have  considered,  that  the  word,  which  here  and  elsewhere  on 
the  same  occasion,  is  rendered  to  hate,  signifies  also  to  love  less,  or  to  take  less  care 
of  a  thing,  and  nor  to  intend  any  injury.  And  that  it  is  thus  to  be  taken  here,  ap- 
pears from  a  parallel  text  in  St.  Matth.  x.  37,  where  our  Saviour  says,  "  He  that 
loveth  father  or  mother  more  than  me  is  not  worthy  of  me."  Therefore  it  is  but 
reasonable  to  translate  the  words  of  the  apostle  St.  Paul,  Rom.  i.  13,  taken  out  of 
Malachi  i.  3,  I  have  loved  Jacob  more  than  Esau  ;  because  God's  dealing  towards 
the  Edomitesdoes  not  shew  any  real  hatred  against  themj  but  only  that  he  favoured 
them  less  than  the  descendants  of  Jacob. 

f  Se.     See  Malachi,  iii.  4. 


B.  C.  415.  of  the  Ilohj  Bible.  87 

promise  to  their  fathers,  but  would  in  his  own  good  time 
fulfil  it ;  assuring  them,  that  when  that  day  should  come, 
the  proud,  and  all  that  had  done  wickedly,  should  be  ut- 
terly extirpated  :  but  those,  that  had  feared  the  Lord, 
should  enjoy  prosperity  and  all  manner  of  plenty  :  then 
promising  them  victory  in  those  days  over  their  enemies, 
whom  they  should  trample  as  dust  under  their  feet,  he  bids 
them  remember  the  law  of  Moses,  the  servant  of  the 
Lord,  which  he  gave  him  in  mount  Horcb.  And  at  last, 
as  a  pledge  of  the  completion  of  all  that  he  had  promised 
concerning  the  coming  of  the  Messiah,  he  tells  them  the 
Lord  would  send  Elias*^  the  prophet  before  that  great 
and  terrible  day,  the  happy  eftect  of  which  should  be, 
the  tarningt  the  hearts  of  the  fathers  to  their  children,  and 
of  the  children  to  their  fathers. 


•  Hias.  That  is,  St.  John  Baptist  ;  who  is  here  called  Elias,  because  he 
came  in  the  spirit  of  Elias,  Luke  i.  17,  Matth.  xi.  14,  and  xvii.  11,  12;  as  Elias 
did  before,  to  correct  the  depraved  manners,  and  corrupt  doctrine  of  the  Jews, 
sparing  neither  prince  nor  people,  but  reproving  both  with  equal  zeal  and  fervour. 

•f  Turning.  That  is,  should  reconcile  those  that  are  at  variance,  and  settle  alt 
in  unanimity  and  concord.  For  from  the  time  of  the  Maccabees  to  the  coming  of 
Christ,  Judea  had  not  only  been  worried  with  foreign  enemies,  but  civil  discords 
occasioned  by  the  diffe»ent  sects  that  were  among  them ;  the  most  prevalent  on 
either  side  being  those  cf  the  Sadducees  and  Pharisees ;  which  threw  that  nation, 
and  especially  the  city  of  Jerusalem,  into  teiTible  convulsions,  and  which  theprophet 
literally  foretold  (see  Micah  vii.  6,  according  to  the  text  here  in  Malachi,  iv.  6. 
Besides,  this  was  very  justly  adapted  to  the  character  of  the  Messiah,  who  is  by  the 
prophet  Isaiah  called  the  Prince  of  peace ;  and  answerably  to  that  character,  at 
his  birth,  tjie  world  enjoyed  profound  peace  and  tranquillity. 


A 

COMPLETE 


HISTORY 


OF  THE 


3^0li>  TBiUt, 


BOOK  THE  SEVENTH. 


The  continuation,^  from   the  death  of  Nehemiah,  to  the 

hrrfh  nf  ChriQf 


birth  of  Christ. 


G 


OD  having  withdrawn  his  Spirit  from  the  prophets,  left 
the  Jews  to  govern  themselves  according  to  their  own  laws, 
which  for  a  time  they  did,  enjoying  their  religion  in  full 
libert}^,  having  High-priests,  in  whom  the  chief  govern-: 
ment  was  vested ;  but  they  remained  subject  to  the  do- 
minion of  the  Persians,  so  long  as  that  empire  con- 
tinued. ^ 


*  Continuation.  From  the  death  of  Nehemiah  to  the  birth  of  our  Saviour  Christ, 
among  the  various  computations,  there  are  reckoned  at  least  four  hundred  years  ; 
in  which  time  many  and  great  revolutions  happened  in  the  Jewish  state,  and  the 
church  of  God  underwent  very  great  and  heavy  persecutions,  both  from  the  Greeks 
and  Romans.  The  account  of  which  we  must  take  partly  from  the  Apochryphal 
books  of  the  Maccabees,  and  partly  from  Josephus  and  other  historians,  to  continue 
the  series  of  history  to  our  Saviour's  time.  As  for  the  alterations  of  the  Greek  go- 
vernment over  Judea,  by  the  Egyptians,  Syrians,  and  Romans,  they  were  Uterall/ 
foretold  by  Daniel,  ch.  xi. 


B.  C.  335,  of  the  Hohj  Bible.  89- 

Towards  tlie  end  of  the  reign  of  Darius  Codamnnnus, 
an  unhajipy  event  occurred,  whicli  tlirew  the  Jeuibh  state 
into  i^reat  confusion  and  disorder,  and  had  like  to  have 
proved  fatal  to  them.  For  Manasses,  brother  of  Jaddus  * 
the  high-priest,  and  colleague  with  him,  having  married 
Nicaso  the  daughter  of  Sanballat,  the  old  enemy  of  the 
Jews,  the  elders  of  Jerusalem  wisely  foreseeing  the  fatal 
consequence  of  such  marriages,  as  knowing  them  to  have 
been  in  a  great  measure  the  cause  of  their  late  captivity, 
and  other  judgments  sent  amongst  them,  demand  of 
Manasses,  either  to  dismiss  his  wife,  or  no  more  to  ap- 
proach the  altar. 

In  diis  act  his  brother  Jaddua  concurred,  and  forced 
him  to  desist  from  the  office  of  pontiff".  Manasses,  upon 
this,  repaired  to  his  father-in-law  Sanballat,  to  whom  he 
declared,  that  though  he  passionately  loved  his  daughter, 
yet  he  was  unwilling,  for  her  sake,  to  be  deprived  of  the 
priesthood,  which  was  a  native  honour,  and  in  the  highest 
esteem  among  the  Jews.  Sanballat,  to  quiet  Manasses, 
told  him  he  should  not  only  be  continued  in  the  priest- 
hood, but  he  would  procure  the  pontificate  for  him,  and 
m^ke  him  prince  of  the  whole  province  of  Judea,  pro- 
vided he  would  continue  his  affection  to  his  daughter, 
and  return  to  her  as  his  wife  ;  adding,  that  he  would  build 
a  temple  on  mount  Gerizim  superior  to  that  in  Jerusalem  : 
and  all  this  he  engaged  to  perform  by  the  power  and  con- 
sent of  Darius.  These  promises  so  elevated  the  ambition 
of  Manasses  ;  that  he  tarried  with  his  father-in-law ;  during 
which  time  many  of  the  priests  and  Israelites,  who  had 
engaged  in  these  forbidden  marriages,  revolted  to  Ma- 
nasses ;  Sanballat  furnishing  them  with  houses  and  lands, 
to  encourage  his  son-in-law's  ambitious  hopes ;  which 
M-as  the  occasion  of  great  mutiny  and  disorder  in  the 
Jewish  state. 

About  this  time,  Darius,  hearing  that  Alexander,  the 
Great,  had  passed  the  Hellespont,  and  invaded  Asia,  and 


*  Jaddus.     Prideaux  as  well  as  Jcsephus  call  this  high-priest  Jaddua, 

Vol.  ir.  -        M 


tr,. 


90  J  Complete  History        >       B.  C.  335^ 

had  defeated  his  army  at  the  river  Granicus,  resolved  at 
the  streights  of  Cilicia  to  stop  his  further  progress.  San- 
ballat,  overjoyed  at  the  approach  of  Darius,  assured  his 
son-in-law  of  the  performance  of  his  promise  as  soon  as 
Darius  returned  from  the  victory.  But  the  event  disap- 
pointed their  hopes ;  for  the  victorious  Macedonian, 
though  greatly  inferior  in  numbers,  routed  Darius's  army, 
took  his  mother,  wife,  and  children  prisoners,  and  forces 
him  to  fly  back  into  Persia.  Alexander  upon  this  marched 
directly  into  Syria,  took  Damascus  and  Sidon,  and  laid 
siege  to  Tyre.  Then  sending  letters  to  Jaddua  the  High- 
priest,  he  demanded  subsistence  for  his  army,  and  the 
same  allegiance  and  respect  usually  paid  to  Darius.  Jad- 
dua returned  answer,  that  he  had  sworn  not  to  take  arms 
against  Darius,  and  that  he  would  keep  his  oath  invio- 
lable as  long  as  he  lived.  Alexander,  enraged  at  this  an- 
swer, threatened  the  pontiff  that  he  would  soon  be  with 
him,  and  make  him  know  to  whom  his  allegiance  was 
due ;  but  still  carried  on  the  siege  of  Tyre  with  all  ima- 
ginable diligence. 

In  the  mean  time  Sanballat,  taking  this  opportunity, 
rcvohed  from  Darius,  and  with  eight  thousand  men  of 
his  own  province,  went  over  to  Alexander,  whom  he 
found  in  his  camp  before  Tyre,  carrying  on  the  siege. 
SanbaHat  without  scruple  acknowledges  Alexander  for 
his  sovereign,  and  is  kindly  received  by  him.  This  early 
revolt  and  favourable  reception  of  Sanballat,  gave  him 
opportunity  and  encouragement  to  speak  what  he  pleased 
to  Alexander.  Taking  a  fit  time,  he  told  him  that  Ma- 
nasses  his  son-in-law  was  brother  to  Jaddua  the  High- 
priest  ;  that  having  in  discontent  left  Jerusalem,  and  be- 
ing followed  by  many  of  the  Jews,  who  were  of  his 
party,  he  was  inclined  to  build  a  temple  in  his  province. 
Then,  by  way  of  advice,  he  assured  Alexander  that  it 
would  be  of  great  advantage  to  his  interest ;  for  thus  he 
would  divide  the  strength  of  the  Jews.  Alexander  ap- 
proved  of  what  he  proposed,  and  accordingly  Sanballat 
erected  a  temple,  and  constituted  his  son-in-law  Manasses 
priest  of  it ;  by  which  he  presumed,  that  he  should  leave 


B.  C.  332.  of  the  Holy  Bible.  91 

a  lastinc^  monument  of  honour  to  the  posterity  of  Iiis 
daughicT. 

Aficr  seven  months  spent  in  the  siege  of  Tyre,  and 
two  in  that  of  Gaza,  Sanballat  died,  and  Alexander,  at 
the  head  of  his  victorious  troops,  hastened  to  Jerusalem, 
to  take  revenge  for  the  hite  neglect  of  his  proffered 
friendship.  Jaddua,  knowing  the  city  unable  to  oppose 
the  progress  of  the  victorious  monarch,  commended  the 
public  safety  to  the  protection  of  God  to  whom  he  otter- 
ed prayers  and  sacrifice.  The  night  before  Alexander  ap- 
proached the  city,  Jaddua  had  a  vision,  in  which  he  was 
encouraged  to  go  out  and  meet  the  conqueror,  with  as- 
surance of  security.  Upon  this  he  assembled  the  priests 
and  people,  whom  he  acquainted  with  the  vision  ;  and 
according  to  his  direction,  the  rest  of  the  priests  put  on 
their  habits,  and  the  people  clothed  themselves  in  white, 
and  with  Jaddua  at  their  head,  went  out  to  meet  the  con- 
queror. Alexander  w-as  amazed  at  this  unusual  and  ve- 
nerable pomp  ;  but  that  which  most  surprised  him,  was 
to  see  the  high- priest  clothed  in  the  same  manner  as  he 
had  seen  one  in  a  dream  whilst  he  was  in  Maeedon,  who 
assured  him  that  he  should  conquer  Persia.  Upon  which 
Alexander,  bowed  himself  before  Jaddua,  worshipped 
the  name  of  God,  which  was  written  on  the  plate  that 
^\•as  on  the  forehead  of  the  high- priest,  and  received  him 
graciously.  After  this  they  went  into  the  city,  and  Alex- 
ander, by  the  advice  of  Jaddua,  offered  sacrifice  in  the 
temple,  where  they  shewed  him  the  prophecy  of  Daniel, 
which  foretold  that  a  Grecian  should  subdue  the  Persians ; 
upon  which  he  expressed  great  satisfaction,  and  promised 
the  Jews  that  he  would  grant  them  whatsoever  they  de- 
sired. Jaddua  then  requested,  that  they  might  live  ac- 
cording to  their  own  laws,  and  that  he  would  remit  the 
tribute  of  the  seventh  year.  These  petitions  he  readily 
g)-anted,  and  gave  leave  likewise  at  their  request,  to  the 
Jews  that  lived  in  Babylon  and  Media  to  do  the  same. 
After  which  several  Jews  followed  Alexander  in  his  other 
expeditions. 

Upon  the  death  of  Alexander,  the  empire  was  divided 
among  several  successors,  and  Syria  fiilling  to  the  lot  of 


92  A  Complete  History  B.  C.  320. 

Seleucus,  the  Jews  ought  of  course  to  have  been  subject 
to  him  ;  but  Ptolemy,  the  son  of  Lagus,  kmg  of  Eg\  pt, 
having  possessed  himself  of  Syria  by  stratagem,  took  Jeru^ 
salem,  entering  it  on  the  sabbath-day,  when  the  inhabi- 
tants durst  not  defend  themselves.  He  carried  away  many 
of  the  Jews  into  Egypt,  Cyrene,  and  other  parts  of  Libya. 
Many  also  went  voluntarily  into  Egypt,  where  Ptolemy 
entertained  them  in  a  very  friendly  manner,  making  se- 
veral of  them  free  of  the  city  of  Alexandria.  Ptolemy 
Philadelphus,  the  son  and  successor  of  Ptolemy  Lagus, 
caused  the  law  to  be  translated  into  Greek  by  seventy. two 
interpreters,  whom  he  sent  for  from  Jerusalem  ;  and  dis- 
missing several  of  the  captive  Jews,  he  gave  many  rich 
presents  to  the  temple  at  Jerusalem,  of  an  immense  value. 
Nor  was  Ptolemy  Philadelphus  the  only  patron  and  fa- 
vourer of  the  Jews ;  Seleucus  Nicanor  made  them  free  of 
the  cit}^  of  Antioch,  and  other  cities  of  Syria. 

Antiochus  the  Great,  becoming  king  of  Asia,  made 
war  on  Ptolemy  Epiphanes,  king  of  Egypt,  and  Syria  be- 
came the  seat  of  the  war,  by  which  the  Jews  suffered 
greatly  ;  for  the  fortune  of  war  inclining  sometimes  to 
one  king,  and  sometimes  to  the  other,  Judea  was  mise- 
rably harassed  on  both  sides.  Antiochus'  in  the  end 
being  victorious,  the  Jews  submitted  to  him,  received 
him  with  his  army  into  their  city,  and  joined  with  him 
ill  the  recovery  of  the  citadel  of  Jerusalem,  which  was 
held  by  a  garrison  left  there  by  Scopas,  Ptolemy's  ge- 
neral.  Antiochus  in  return  gave  them  liberty  to  live  and 
govern  according  to  their  own  laws,  and  granted  them 
several  privileges.  But  afterwards  king  Antiochus,  con- 
eluding  a  peace  with  Ptolemy,  gave  him  his  daughter  in 
marriage,  assigning  for  her  dowry  Ccelo-Syria,  Ph?enicia, 
Judea,  and  Samaria.  To  this  king  of  Egypt,  Onias,* 
the  high-priest  refused  to  pay  tribute ;  upon  which 
king    JPtolemy  prepared   to  invade  Juc^a :    but    by   the 


Pnias.    He  was  the  son  of  Jaddua,  the  High-priest,  and  siKceedcd  hiiTi. 


B.  e.  172.  of  the  Holy  Bible.  95 

prudent  manat^cmcnt  of  Joscpluis,*  nephew  to  Onias,  all 
things  were  rcconciied,  and  the  tribute-money  paid. 

Alter  tlie  death  of  Ptolemy  Epiphanes,  Seleucus  Phi- 
lopater,  king  of  Asia,  at  iirst  favoured  the  Jews,  and 
supplied  them  -rvilh  all  things  requisite  for  the  service  of 
the  temple,  and  the  sacrifices,  at  his  own  expence ;  but 
soiiie  time  afier  being  informed  by  one  Simon,  of  the 
tribe  of  Benjamin,  that  there  were  great  treasures  in  the 
temple,  he  sent  Heliodorusf  to  take  them  away ;  who 
going  into  the  temple  with  that  intent,  as  he  was  en- 
tering the  sacred  treasury,  to  his  great  amazement  he  was 
met  by  angels  of  fire,  who  seemed  to  be  on  horseback, 
armed  to  defend  the  place  against  this  sacrilegious  at- 
tempt. The  infidel  general  was  struck  down,  lost  his 
speech  and  senses,  and  did  not  recover  till  the  High- 
priest  Onias  prayed  for  him.J  Some  time  afterwards  He- 
liodorus  aspiring  to  the  crown,  murdered  Seleucus  in 
liopes  of  succeeding  him  ;  but  Eumenesand  Attains  drove 
him  from  thence,  and  set  up  Antiochus^  Epiphanes,  son 
to  Aniiochus  the  Great.  This  prince  was  the  cause  of 
great  afliiciion  to  the  Jews ;  for  he  deposed  Onias,  and 
put  his  brother  Jason  in  his  place,  who  upon  that  ac- 
count had  promised  to  pay  Antiochus  three  thousand  six- 
hundred  talents  of  silver  yearly.     Jason  had  no  sooner 


•  Joseph.  His  mother  was  sister  to  Onias  the  High-priest.  Though  he  was 
but  young,  he  was  eminent  for  prudence,  justice,  and  other  virtues,  which  made 
him  very  much  regarded  in  the  Jewish  state:  And  he  taking  upon  him  to  chide 
his  uncle  Onias  for  covetousnesr,,  and  neglect  of  the  public  good,  did  by  his  good 
reasons  convince  him  of  his  error,  and  persuaded  Onias  to  leave  the  management 
of  the  whole  matter  to  him,  which  he  effected  to  the  satisfaction  of  king  Pcolemy 
and  the  Jews,  and  his  own  reputation  and  advantage.     See  Joseph.  I.  xii.  c.  4. 

f  Ileliodonis.     He  is  bV  Josephus  called  Apollonius. 

\  Him.  It  is  to  be  recollected,  that  this  marvellous  story  does  not  rest  upon  the 
authority  of  the  inspired  volume. 

i  Antiochus.    This  is  that  wicked  Antiochns,  mentioned  in  1  Mace  ii.  v.  11. 


94  J  Complete  History  B.  C.  166. 

usurped  the  Hip^h-priest's  office,  but  he  altered  the  form 
of  divine  worship,  and  changed  the  customs  of  the  Jews,  - 
which  occasioned  a  general  corruption  in  the  Jewish  econo- 
my, and  for  which  God  raised  them  a  scourge  out  of  the 
cause  of  their  offence  ;  for  they  needed  not  a  worse  enemy 
than  Antiochus  to  punish  them,  who  raged  against  them 
with  the  utmost  barbarity. 

After  Antiochus  had  been  in  Egypt,  he  came  in  person 
to  Jerusalem,  where  he  was  received  in  great  pomp  by  Ja- 
son, who  sometime  after  this  sending  one  Menelaus  with 
money  to  the  king,  Menelaus  supplanted  him,  purchasing 
the  priesthood  of  the  king,  and  expelling  Jason,  who  there- 
upon withdrew  into  the  country  of  the  Ammonites,  wait- 
ing a  turn  of  fortune  in  his  favour. 

Menelaus  did  not  long  enjoy  his  ill-gotten  promotion  ; 
for  failing  in  his  payment  he  surrendered  the  priesthood  to 
his  brother  Lysimachus  ;  but  afterwards  repenting  of  his 
tameness  in  delivering  it  up,  he  sold  the  sacred  vessels  to 
recover  it ;  and  lest  Onias,  the  deposed  pontiff,  who  was 
withdrawn  to  Daphne,  should  oppose  him  in  his  design, 
he  procured  him  to  be  murdered  by  Andronicus,  \\hom 
justice  soon  overtook  ;  for  Antiochus  first  ordered  him  to 
be  divested  of  the  purple,  then  led  through  the  city  to  the 
place  where  he  had  murdered  Onias,  and  there  put  to 
death.  The  people  of  Jerusalem  mutinying  against  Lysi- 
machus, slew  him.  Menelaus,  who  was  the  contriver  of 
all  these  mischiefs,  found  means  to  clear  himself  to  Anti- 
ochus, and  get  his  accusers  condemned.  Jason  hearing 
that  Antiochus  was  preparing  to  invade  Egypt,  takes  the 
opportunity  of  his  absence,  and  with  a  thousand  men  at- 
tacks Jerusalem,  by  this  means  hoping  to  recover  the 
High-priesthood,  he  soon  made  himself  master  of  the  ci- 
ty, but  Menelaus  retiring  into  the  citadel,  he  could  not 
reach  him;  wherefore  revenging  himself  upon  the  people, 
^iie  slew  many  of  tiiem,  and  then  made  a  hasty  retreat  into 
the  country  of  the  Ammonites  :  soon  after  which,  he  was 
seized,  and  imprisoned  by  Aretas,  king  of  Arabia,  but 
making  his  escape,  he  fled  from  one  city  to  another,  and 
afterward  died  at  Laccdcmon. 


B.C.   166.  of  the  Holy  Bible.  95 

Antiocluis,  who  was  then  in  Egypt,  heariiif]^  of  tliese 
events,  and  suspecting  that  Judea  might  revolt  from  him, 
returned  in  a  rage  against  the  Jews  for  making  these  com- 
motions, and  entering  the  city  by  force,  put  the  inhabi- 
tants to  the  sword,  for  eighty  thousand  were  slain  in  three 
days,  forty  thousand  taken  prisoners,  and  as  many  sold 
for  slaves.     Then  profaning    the  temple    with   his  irre- 
verend  and  abominable    approaches,   he   entered  it,   at- 
tended with  the  execrable  traitor  Menelaus,  whence  thej^ 
sacrilegiously   conveyed  what    treasure   they   could  find. 
And  to  torment  the   wretched  Jews  the  more,  Antiochus 
made  one  Philip,  a  Phrygian,  a  man  more  barbarous  and 
inhuman  than  himself,  governor  of  Jerusalem,   and  An- 
dronicus,    governor   of  Gerizim,   joining  Menelaus     in 
commission  with  both,  which  was  grievous  to  the  poor 
people,  whom  he  used  most  barbarously.     He  sent  Apol- 
lonius,  one  of  kins:  Antiochus's  sjenerals,  with  an  army 
of  two  and  twenty  thousand   men  to   Jerusalem,  to  kill 
what  men  remained,  and  to  sell  the  women  and   children. 
ApoUonius  coming  before   Jerusalem,  made  no  offer   of 
attacking    the    town   till   the  sabbath,  from    whence  the 
Jews  concluded  themselves  secure.     But  whilst  they  were 
at  their  devotions  on  the  sabbath,  ApoUonius  entered  the 
city,   massacred  many    of  the  inhabitants,  plundeied  the 
place,   led  away  the  women    and   children   captives,  and 
part  of  the  rest  they  obliged  to  fly.     After  this  Antiochus 
orders  that  the  Jews  should  embrace  the  religion  of  the 
Gentiles,  caused  the  temple  at  Jerusalem  to  be  called  the 
temple  of    Olympian  Jove,   filled  it  with   abominations, 
and  obliged  the  Jews  to   sacrifice  to  idols  upon  pain  of 
death.     Those  who  met  in  caves  to  keep  the  sabbath  were 
burnt ;  the   book  of  the  law  was  cast  into  the  fire ;  the 
circumcision  of  infants  was   forbidden  ;  and    women   ac- 
cused of  having  circumcisied  their  children  were  publicly 
led   about   the  city   with   their   infants   hanging  at  their 
breasts,  and  then  cast  headlong  from  the  walls.     In  short, 
no  manner  of  cruelty  was  omitted  to  compel  the  Jews  to 
desert  their  religion. 

,    During  this  terrible  persecution,  some  of  these  wretched 
people  yielded  to  force  ;  but  many  chose  rather  to  die  than 


96  A  Complete  Hlstorij  B.  C.  16a. 

forsake  the  lav\r  of  their  God.  Among  these  last  was 
Eleazar,  a  doctor  of  the  law,  a  very  aged  man,  and  of  a 
venerable  aspect.  To  afflict  this  good  old  man  the  more, 
the  first  test  they  put  him  to,  was  to  make  him  eat  swine's 
fiesh,  which  they  forced  into  his  mouth ;  but  he,  choos- 
ing rather  to  die  gloriously  than  live  ignominiously,  spit 
it  out.  Some  of  those  who  had  the  charge  of  this  part 
of  the  persecution,  in  pity  to  his  age,  and  out  of  former 
friendship,  gave  him  leave  to  elude  the  sentence  by 
taking  a  piece  of  any  other  flesh,  and  eating  it  as  swine's 
flesh.  But  he  considering  this  as  a  vile  collusion  and  hy- 
pocrisy, told  them  he  would  not  purchase  his  life  at  that 
sordid  rate,  but  desired  them  to  dispatch  him  rather  than 
let  him  be  guilty  of  dissimulation,  and  stain  the  honour 
of  his  gr^y  hairs  with  so  base  an  act.  Upon  this,  his  pen- 
secutors,  changing  their  pity  into  cruelty,  fell  upon  him, 
and  beat  him  to  death,  which  he  resolutely  suffered, 
rather  than  dishonour  God  by  violating  his  con- 
science. 

The  next  instance  of  religious  fortitude  was  that  of  the 
heroine  Solomona  and  her  seven  sons,  who  were  by  order 
of  Antiochus  brought  from  their  habitation  to  Antioch. 
The  king  pretending  pity  to  their  youth,  and  respect  to 
their  family,  (which  was  noble)  persuaded  them  to  re- 
nounce their  religion,  and  embrace  that  of  the  Gentiles, 
promising  them  great  rewards  and  promotion  if  the}^ 
would  comply  ;  but  if  they  refused,  they  must  expect  no 
mercy.  Then  ordering  variety  of  tortures  which  he  had 
provided,  to  be  shewed  them,  he  thought  to  terrify  them 
with  the  sad  prospect  of  what  tliey  were  likely  to  sufier. 
However,  these  instruments  and  engines  of  death  could 
no  more  terrify,  than  the  allurements  of  the  tyrant  could 
entice  them  ;  but  inspired  with  a  holy  zeal,  they  una- 
nimouslv  declared  their  atedfiist  adherence  to  the  law  of 
God,  and  the  precepts  which  he  delivered  by  IVIoses,  as- 
surins:  him  that  his  crueltv  could  not  hurt  them;  and  all 
the  effect  their  pains  could  produce,  would  be  to  secure  to 
them  the  gracious  rewards  promised  to  unshaken  pa- 
tience and  injured  virtue  ;  cautioning  him  at  the  same 
time,  of  the  dreadful  consequences  to  himself ;   for  by  the 


B.  C.  163.  of  the  IloUj  Bible.  97 

murder  of  so  many  innocent  men  he  would  arm  tlic  di- 
\inc  vengeance  against  him,  and  for  the  temporal  pains 
uhich  he  inflicted  on  them,  would  himself  become  ob- 
noxious to  everlastiufr  torments. 

The  constancy  and  zeal  of  these  brave  youth  so  en- 
raged the  tyrant,  that  he  gave  the  word  lor  the  execu- 
tioners to  bring  the  eldest  to  the  torture,  which  they  im- 
mediately did  ;  and  stripping  oft'  his  clothes,  they  bound 
his  hands  and  arms  in  a  posture  for  receiving  the  scourge, 
which  he  enduring  with  admirable  patience  ;  and  finding 
that  they  wearied  themselves  more  than  him  with  this  sort 
of  punishment,  they  bound  him  upon  the  wheel.  The 
noble  vouth  Ivina:  extended  here  with  his  bones  broken, 
and  joints  dislocated,  reproached  his  tormentor  thus, 
"  O  execrable  tyrant,  and  persecutor  of  heaven  !  Thou 
*'  dost  not  treat  me  thus  barbarously  for  any  breach  of 
"  divine  or  human  laws,  but  for  my  zeal  to  God  and  his 
holy  ordinances. "  Then  the  soldiers  advising  him  to 
save  his  life  by  complying,  he  continued;  "  You  may 
exercise  your  cruelty  upon  my  body,  but  you  cannot 
'  torture  my  mind ;  that  is  out  of  your  reach  ;  and  I  will 
convince  you  by  this  trial  upon  my  person,  that  it  is 
the  peculiar  glor)'  of  the  Hebrew  nation  to  be  invin- 
cibly firm  ill  their  sufferings  for  God  and  a  good  con- 
science."  Then  extending  his  body  still  more,  they 
turned  him  to  the  flames,  where  thev  held  him  till  his 
bowels  burst,  and  nothing  of  human  form  was  left,  but 
a  skeleton  of  bones.  These  exquisite  tortures  this  brave 
youth  bore  with  such  magnanimity,  as  if  the  fire  had  only 
served  to  refine  him  into  an  immortal  creature.  At  last, 
nature  being  wasted  with  repeated  tortures,  he  thus  took 
his  leave  of  his  brethren  :  "Be  sure  you  follow  my  ex- 
"  ample,  and  desert  me  not  in  this  noble  conflict.  Shame 
"  the  tyrant  with  your  sufferings,  and  die  gloriously  in 
*'  the  service  of  God,  who  will  humble  this  bloody  mon- 
*'  ster  with  punishments  as  uncommon  and  amazing  as  his 
"  own  pride  and  cruelty."  And  thus  this  holy  youth  clo- 
sed his  painful  life. 

The  second  brother,  with  the  same  undaunted  courage, 
advanced  to  this  tragical  stage ;    ^A  here  being  demanded 
Vol.  II.  N 


(C 


(( 


98  A  Complete  History  B.  C.  163. 

whether  he  would  eat  of  their  sacrificed  meat,  and  re-, 
fusing,  the  tormentors  m  ith  pincers  drew  off  all  the  flesh 
from  the  muscles  of  his  neck  to  the  chin,  and  flayed  off 
all  the  hair  and  skin  of  his  beard,  face,  and  head.  And 
having  remained  some  time  a  sad  spectacle  to  the  bloody 
tormentors,  he  thus  took  his  leave  of  them  and  the  world. 
'*  How  welcome  is  death  in  any  shape  to  him  that  suffers 
*'  for  truth  and  religion?  The  pleasure  of  an  innocent 
mind,  and  the  comfort  of  a  clear  conscience  soften  my 
sufferings,  and  support  my  spirits,  whilst  thou  art  racked 
Avith  the  cutting  apprehensions  of  a  guilty  mind.  Thy 
"  cruelties  1  sufli^r  with  more  pleasure  than  thou  canst 
"  execute  them  ;  for  thy  own  heart  must  tell  thee,  that 
*'  thou  dost  wickedly  in  punishing  the  innocent  for  as- 
"  serting  the  truth,  and  persevering  in  the  worship  and 
*'  love  of  God,  for  which  be  assured  thou  wilt  not  escape 
*'  the  terrible  vengeance  of  a  just  and  angry  God.'- 
The  pious  hero  thus  persevering  in  the  defence  of  his 
religion,  made  his  way  to  heaven  through  blood  and  tor- 
ments. 

The  third  brother,  far  from  being  daunted  at  the  sight 
of  what  the  former  endured,  and  being  pressed  by  the 
tyrant  to  take  warning  by  their  death,  he  angrily  replied, 
"  The  same  father  and  mother  brought  us  into  the  world, 
"  and  the  same  master  formed  our  minds  with  the  same 
*'  principles  :  think  not  therefore  that  I  will  by  any  pu- 
"  sillanimous  retreat  endeavour  to  evade  thy  cruelty,  and 
"  desert  the  glorious  cause  of  suffering  for  our  religion. 
"  Lose  no  time,  for  I  come  prepared  to  suffer,  not  to 
"  make  speeches."  This  answer,  delivered  with  an  air  of 
resolution,  so  enraged  the  tyrant,  that  he  thought,  if 
possible,  to  augment  his  tortures ;  therefore  commanded 
the  executioners  to  fix  his  hands  and  his  feet  in  the 
screws,  where  with  a  violent  wrench  they  dislocated  all 
the  joints  of  his  fingers  and  toes  at  once.  This  done, 
they  continued  to  draw  the  engine  yet  higher,  till  they 
had  twisted  his  legs  and  arms,  and  shoulder-bones  out 
of  their  sockets;  and  finding  him  still  to  survive  all  these 
distortions,  dragged  off"  his  skin  at  tlie  er.ds  of  his  fingers, 
and  flayed   him  from  the  verv  crown  of  his  head.     And 


B.  C.    163.  of  the  Holy  Bible.  99 

not  content  to  have  mangled  his  body  after  this  merciless 
manner,  thev  dras^sied  him  to  the  wheel,  where  bcinjr 
yet  more  distended  upon  the  pins  and  scre\\'s,  he  saw  his 
several  parts  burst  asunder,  his  flesh  drop  off  by  piece- 
meals, and  his  bowels  and  blood  gush  out.  His  tor- 
mentors  being  wearied  with  their  continual  applications 
of  cruelty,  and  nature  just  exhausted  in  the  heroic  youth, 
he  closed  this  bloody  scene  with  a  dreadful  prediction  of 
the  tyrant's  fate  :  "  O  wicked  and  most  inhuman  of  all 
''  tyrants,  we  suffer  thus  for  the  love  of  God,  and  his 
''  most  righteous  law ;  but  thou,  who  art  the  cause  of 
"  all  this  injustice  and  cruelty,  shalt  suffer  endless  tor- 
*'  ments." 

The  fourth  brother  being  dragged  to  execution,  is  per- 
suaded to  consider  and  avoid  inevitable  destruction,  which 
he  saw  preparing  lor  him.  But  he,  resolving  not  to 
stain  the  honour  of  his  family,  and  disgrace  the  cause  of 
religion  by  any  pusillanimous  act,  replied,  "  The  sight 
''  of  all  your  tortures  in  their  dismal  appearances  cannot 
"  affright  me  to  derogate  from  the  noble  example  of  my 
"  brethren.  Let  thy  tortures  be  as  extravagant  as  thy 
"  malice  and  cruelty  can  invent,  they  shall  only  serve  to 
"  prove  me  a  branch  of  the  same  stock,  and  animated 
"  \vith  the  very  same  soul  with  those  whose  blood  thy 
"  impious  hands  have  spilt."  The  barbarous  Antiochus 
was  so  incensed  at  this,  that  he  commanded  the  execu- 
tioners to  cut  out  his  tongue.  But  the  holy  youth,  not  in 
the  least  terrified  with  his  threatenings,  cried  out :  "  Here 
"it  is  ready  for  th}--  wicked  agents  to  exercise  their 
"  cruelty  upon :  but  know,  thou  tyrant,  that  by  de- 
"  priving  me  of  the  use  of  this  organ  of  speech,  thou 
canst  not  make  my  reason  dumb.  O  that  I  might,  to 
glorify  God,  lose  my  life  by  inches !  But  as  for  thee, 
guilt  and  vengeance  will  soon  overtake  *thee,  who 
*'  cuttest  out  this  inoffensive  tongue,  that  hath  been  em- 
*'  ployed  in  making  melody,  and  singing  praises  to  God, 
"  who  formed  it  for  that  purpose."  Then  the  tormen- 
tors cut  out  his  tongue,  and  tied  it  to  the  trunk  of  his  body, 
which  being  exhausted  with  pain,  and  miserably  mangled, 
he  joyfully  ended  his  course. 


ti 


160  A  Complete  History  B.  C.  163. 

The  fifth  brother,  eager  to  obtain  his  share  in  this  hon- 
ourable conflict,  boldly  stepped  forward,  uncalled  for, 
and  oft'ered  himself  to  the  torture,  addressing  the  king 
thus:  "Thou  seest,  most  inhuman  tyrant,  I  wait  not 
*'  thy  tedious  orders,  but  voluntarily  ofter  myself  to  the 
"  trial,  and  dare  thy  cruelty  in  the  defence  of  my  faith. 
"  The  sooner  thou  dispatchest  me,  the  sooner  will  my 
*'  happiness  be  complete,  and  thine  iniquities  make  thee 
*'  ripe  for  vengeance.  Tell  me,  thou  destroyer  of  man- 
*'  kind,  what  could  provoke  thee  to  torment  and  murder 
"  the  innocent?  Is  it  a  crime  to  serve  that  God  who  cre- 
ated the  world?  And  shall  we  not  worship  him  by 
whom  we  live,  and  who  hath  instituted  the  methods  by 
"  which  we  are  to  regulate  our  lives  ?  In  this  we  defy 
thy  tortures,  and  despise  thy  punishments,  which  \\ ill 
translate  us  to  a  happy  eternity,  and  thee  to  endless 
*'  torments."  At  these  words  the  executioners  seized, 
and  bound  him  to  the  wheel,  and  drawing  the  screws 
strait,  they  at  once  dislocated  the  joints  of  his  limbs  and 
back,  so  that  he  twisted  round  the  wheel ;  and  being 
almost  strangled,  he  thus  took  his  leave :  "  Thou  little 
*'  dost  imagine,  most  execrable  tyrant,  the  benefit  thy 
*'  cruelty  procures  to  us;  for  the  more  thou  ragest  against 
*'  us  in  these  unheard  of  tortures,  the  more  acceptable 
"  dost  thou  render  us  to  God.  This  momentary  pain  will 
*'  issue  in  everlasting  rest,  and  every  torture  is  but  an 
*f  occasion  of  exercising  our  patience." 

The  sixth  brother  being  brought  forward,  the  tyrant 
asked  him  whether  he  would  accept  of  deliverance  ?  To 
uhich  the  brave  youth  replied;  "  Though  I  am  inferior 
"  in  years  to  my  brothers  that  have  suffered  before  me, 
♦*  yet  is  my  soul  equal  in  magnanimity  to  theirs.  And 
"  as  we  were  nourished  and  educated  together  in  the 
"  fear  of  God,  we  ought  to  persist  in  the  same  to  death. 
"  Think  not  therefore  to  terrify  or  persuade  me  to  relin- 
**  quish  the  glorious  cause  of  religion  by  the  apprehen- 
*,''  Sionjof  torture,  for  I  am  ready  to  suffer  as  they  have 
"  done ;  and  know,  that  God  will  support  me  in  the  de- 
*'  fence  of  a  good  conscience  under  the  gieatest  pains 
"  thou  canst  inflict."     Antiochus  seeing  him  thus  reso- 


B.  C.  1G3.  of  the  Holy  Bible.  101 

lute,  commands  him  to  be  fastened  to  the  ulicel ;  and 
after  having  broken  and  distorted  all  his  bones,  they  put 
lire  under  him.  Then  the  soldiers  heated  spits  and  spears 
red  hot,  and  thrust  them  into  his  back  and  sides,  till  his 
bowels  were  burnt  up,  \\hile  he  cried,  "  O  glorious  con- 
"  flict,  in  which  so  many  brethren  have  engaged  for  their 
*'  religion,  and  come  off  with  conquest !  I  will  bear  my 
"  brethren  company  in  so  noble  a  death,  and  add  to  the 
"  number  of  plagues  due  to  thee,  O  wicked  inventor  of 
"  artful  cruelty,  and  implacable  foe  of  all  that  adhere  to 
"  the  true  relic-ion !  Six  of  us  have  now  baffled  thy  ma- 
"  lice  and  rage  ;  for  I  must  needs  account  thee  baffled, 
"  who  hast  without  success  attempted  to  force  us  from 
"  our  duty.  Thy  fires,  methinks,  are  cold ;  thy  racks 
"  easy  ;  and  thy  guards  are  now  no  longer  tormentors 
"  and  executioners,  but  defenders  and  promoters  of  our 
*'  law  and  its  honour,  since  they  assist  us  in  giving  testi- 
*'  mony  to  it,  and  contribute  to  the  triumphs  of  the  reli- 
"  gion  they  are  not  able  to  suppress."  Having  made  an 
end  of  speaking,  and  just  ready  to  expire,  they  dis- 
patched him  by  casting  him  into  a  cauldron  of  boiling- 
liquor . 

And  now  the  seventh  and  youngest  brother  appeared  : 
whom,  wb.en  the  tyrant  saw,  fettered  and  pinioned,  though 
he  had  been  so  implacably  outrageous  against  the  rest, 
his  hard  heart  began  a  little  to  relent ;  therefore  calling 
him  up  to  the  throne  where  he  sat,  he  began  to  try  him 
.M'ith  soft  words  and  fair  means.  "  You  see,"  said  he, 
"  young  man,  the  miserable  end  to  which  the  rest  of  your 
*'  family  have  by  their  own  obstinacy  brought  themselves, 
*'  and  which  will  be  your  fate  in  a  few  minutes,  if  by  their 
"  example  you  will  not  become  wiser.  But  I  hope  bet- 
"  ter  things  from  you  ;  and  for  an  encouragement  of  your 

better  behaviour,  I  make  you  a  generous  offer  of  my 

esteem   and  friendship,   and  promise  to  promote  you  to 

places  of  honour  and  profit." 

Then  addressing  himself  to  the  mother  of  these  br^9V^- 
youth,  who  liad  hitherto  been  a  witness  of   her  children's 
sufferings,  \\\\.\\  a  pretended  compassion  for  her  loss,  he 


102  ji  Complete  History  B.  C.  163. 

intreated  her  to  prevail  upon  her  child,  in  pity  to  herself 
at  least,  to  save  this  small  remnant  of  her  family,  and  not 
to  give  herself  the  affliction  of  having  all  her  offspring  so 
miserably  torn  away  at  once.  But  she,  worthy  of  the 
honour  of  being  mother  to  such  godly  heroes,  whispered 
thus  to  her  son  in  the  Hebrew  language:  "  In  pity  to 
*'  me,  my  son,  and  in  honour  of  thy  family  ;  despise 
''  the  temptations  of  the  tyrant,  and  defy  his  threats. 
*'  Look  up  with  hope  to  that  God  who  made  the  world, 
"  and  who  can  deliver  thee  from  thy  cruel  persecutors. 
"  Bravely  imitate  thy  religious  brethren,  who  have 
"  suffered  the  worst  of  deaths  for  their  conscience  : 
''  fear  not  the  tortures  this  heathen  can  inflict ;  and  be 
"  assured  that  in  the  day  of  mercy,  which  this  tyrant 
"  shall  never  see,  I  shall  receive  you  all  in  celestial 
"  embraces." 

The  godly  youth,  having  with  great  attention  heard 
the  admonition  of  his  pious  mother,  on  a  sudden  cried 
out,  "  Well  then,  unbind  me,  and  let  me  apply  myself 
*'  to  the  king  and  his  friends  that  attend  about  the 
"  throne."  The  company  was  overjoyed  at  this  pro- 
posal, and  immediately  let  him  loose ;  upon  which  he 
ran  hastily  to  the  side  of  the  cauldron,  and  thus  ad- 
dressed himself  to  the  king:  "Most  impious  tyrant! 
"  Hast   thou   received   from   the  hand   of  God  a  kinsr- 

o 

*'  dom,  and  so  many  worldly  blessings,  and  yet  with- 
"  out  the  least  shame  or  remorse  murderest  the  friends 
"■  and  servants  of  him  who  thus  advanced  thee  ?  Is  this 
"  the  requital  thou  maftest  to  a  bountiful  God,  to  rack 
"  and  torture  those  that  worship  him,  and  for  no  other 
"  reason  but  becttuse  tliey  worship  him  as  he  himself 
"  has  directed?  Be  well  assured  this  wickedness  will 
"  not  be  forgotten,  nor  go  unrewarded,  for  justice  "will 
"  pursue  thee;  and  in  the  mean  time  lay  up  in  store 
"  for  thee  torments  and  fires,  not  like  these,  which 
"  quickly  consume  the  body,  and  put  a  period  to  pain, 
^  but  such  as  shall  be  a  store  of  fire,  and  pains  inex- 
"  haustible.  Canst  thou  call  thyself  a  man,  thou  more 
"  than  savage  brute,  and  yet  have  no  regard,  no  re- 
''  leining  for   these   most  exquisite  and  studied  pains, 


a 


4l 


B.  C.  163.  of  the  Holy  Bible.  103 

"  which  thou  inflictest  on  them  wlio  have  the  snme  na- 
"  ture,  the  same  tender  sense  of  sufferings  >\ith  ihy- 
*'  self  ?  Is  it  possible  a  creature  of  like  matter  and  form 
"  should  take  delight  in  mangling,  burning,  flaying, 
"  scourging,  killing  his  fellow  creatures?  Yet  such 
thou  an  ;  but  unlike  to  us  in  disposition,  and  as  un- 
like in  thy  fate  and  portion.  For  we  who  die  to  gra- 
tify thy  malice  have  done  our  duty,  and  shall  find 
favour  and  happiness  with  God  :  but  thou,  who  hast 
put  us  upon  the  truth  of  our  religion  with  so  mucl^ 
causeless  pain,  so  undeserved  a  death,  shalt  howl 
for  ever  in  despair,  and  be  plagued  with  the  bitter  re- 
"  preaches  of  this  sad  day's  transactions.  So  dreadful,  so 
"  infamous  is  thy  case  !  so  blessed,  so  glorious  my  mar- 
*'  tyred  brethren!  from  whose  honours  and  rewards  think 
*'  not  that  either  flattery  or  fear  shall  exclude  me  :  for 
"  know,  I  aspire  to  an  equality  with  the  best  of  them,  and 
*'  think  it  long  till  we  meet  again  in  the  same  suft'erings 
"here,  and  in  the  same  bliss  hereafter.''  With  that  he 
cast  himself  into  the  cauldron,  and  expired  in  the  hottest 
of  the  fire. 

This  was  the  glorious  end  of  tliese  godly  heroes,  who 
waded  through  a  sea  of  the  acutest  pains  to  the  f>ort  of 
eternal  rest.  And  yet  to  increase  our  wonder,  and 
abate  that  notion  of  fortitude  which  men,  too  partial 
to  themselves,  are  apt  to  boast  of,  as  the  peculiar 
glory  of  their  sex,  there  is  yet  a  more  astonishing  in- 
stance of  it  in  the  mother  of  these  brave  religious  bre- 
thren. She  was  exercised  by  pains  more  sharp  and 
complicated  than  any  yet  mentioned.  Who  can  con- 
ceive the  extremity,  the  variety  of  that  pious  mother's 
pains,  who  herself  was  tortured  and  put  to  death  in 
every  one  of  her  seven  sons  ?  The  aft'ection  of  parents 
terminates  in  their  children,  who  are  the  proper  centre 
of  all  their  care  and  concern  :  but  so  true  a  daughter 
of  Abraham  was  the  mother  of  these  gallant  godly 
youth,  that  even  compassion  for  her  own  children 
could  not  break  in  upon  her  duty.  Such  was  her  zeal, 
that   when   religion  and  the  present   safety  and  prefer- 


104  A  Complete  History  B.  C.  163. 

ment  of  her  seven  sons  were  offered  to  her  choice,  she 
wisely  gave  the  preference  to  religion,  took  God's  word 
before  the  king's,  and  chose  to  have  them  live  for  ever 
with  God  in  heaven,  rather  than  enjoy  a  short  prospe- 
rity with  Antiochus  upon  earth.  The  fear  and  love 
of  God  made  her  overlook  the  present  ease  and  advan- 
tage of  her  children  ;  and  she  knew  she  could  never  love 
them  so  tenderly,  so  deservedly,  as  when  their  steady 
virtue  and  constancy  in  the  cause  of  truth  charmed  her  af- 
fections, and  endeared  them  to  her.  They  were  just, 
wise,  temperate,  and  magnanimous,  affectionate  to  each 
other,  and  dutiful  to  their  mother  to  that  degree,  that  they 
even  died  in  the  cause  of  their  law  in  obedience  to  her. 
And  she  was  so  far  from  allowing  any  one  of  these  mani- 
fold engagements  to  betray  her  into  an  undue  tenderness, 
or  suffering  any  of  the  torture  they  endured  to  shake  her 
reason,  that  she  exhorted  each  of  them  singly,  and  all  of 
them  together,  not  to  decline  any  sufferings  or  death  for 
the  sake  of  religion. 

And  now,  to  close  this  bloody  tragedy,  the  soldiers  ap- 
proached to  seize  the  godly  matron  in  order  to  execution  ; 
but  she  prevented  all  attempts  upon  her  person,  and  with- 
out any  force  cast  herself  into  the  fire,  defeating  thus  the 
tyrant's  rage  and  violence,  disappointing  all  his  wicked 
contrivances,  and  exerting  a  most  vigorous  and  noble 
faith.  Thus  ended  this  doleful,  yet  glorious  day,  with 
the  death  of  the  victorious  Solomona,  who  triumphed  in 
the  sharpest  agonies  of  her  sons,  and  her  own  sufferings, 
who  with  them  was  translated  from  misery  to  bliss  un- 
speakable, admitted  into  the  joyful  society  of  all  their  pi- 
ous ancestors,  and  whose  souls  were  received  into  an  eter- 
nal rest,  after  sacrificing  their  bodies  in  the  service  of  their 
God. 

The  poor  Tews  for  a  time  laboured  under  unspeak- 
able oppression  from  the  cruel  Antiochus ;  but  at  last 
they  were  rescued  by  the  divine  providence,  under  the 
conduct  of  the  noble  family  of  the  Maccabees :  the 
chief  of  which  at   that  time  was   Muttathias  the   priest, 


i 


B.C.    163.  of  the  Holy  Bible.  105 

who  had  fled  from  Jerusalem,  during  the  persecution, 
and  witli  his  five  sons,  John,  Simon,  Judas,  Eleazar, 
and  Jonathan,  had  withdrawn  to  the  mountains  of  Mo- 
din. 

In  this  retirement,  Mattathias  and  his  sons  bemoan- 
ed the  hard  fate  of  their  reHgion  and  country.  But  they 
had  not  opportunity  long  to  enjoy  this  sad  retreat;  for 
the  tyrant's  restless  malice  soon  found  them  out,  who 
sent  his  messengers  to  Modin  to  oblige  the  inhabitants  to 
sacrifice  and  burn  incense  in  honour  of  their  idols.  Many 
submitted  to  this  force,  but  the  brave  Mattathias  and  his 
family  abhorred  this  profaneness  ;  and  to  let  Apelles,  king 
.  Antiochus's  general,  see,  that  in  defence  of  his  conscience, 
the  honour  of  God,  and  the  truth  of  his  religion,  he  was 
not  afraid  to  die,  he  bravely  sle^v  a  Jew  that  was  just  go- 
ing to  sacrifice,  preventing  his  idolatry  by  his  death ;  and 
Apelles  continuing  to  persuade  or  force  the  people  to  pro- 
faneness, received  his  death  from  some  of  the  brave  Mac- 
cabees, who  not  only  in  defence  of  their  conscience  killed 
their  persecutors,  but  overturned  their  altars,  and  pulled 
down  their  idols. 

Mattathias,  however,  perceiving  that  he  could  not 
long  maintain  his  opposition  to  the  superior  power  of  the 
enemy,  calling  out  to  his  countrymen,  said,  "  Let  him 
*'  that  loves  his  religion  follow  me."  Upon  which  he 
made  the  best  of  his  way  to  the  mountains,  with  his  sons ; 
whither  several  Jews,  with  their  families,  followed  hin;. 
Antiochus's  officers  hearing  this,  took  a  party  of  the  gar- 
rison at  Jerusalem,  and  pursued  them ;  and  attacking 
them  on  the  sabbath,  slew  about  a  thousand  of  them, 
who  would  not  defend  themselves  because  of  the  solemni- 
ty of  the  day.  Hereupon  Mattathias  and  the  rest  came  to 
a  resolution,  not  to  make  any  scruple  of  defending  them- 
selves for  the  future  against  such  as  should  attack  them  on 
the  sabbath.  After  this  they  formed  a  body  of  regu- 
lar forces  under  the  command  of  Mattathias,  and  fell  up- 
on their  enemies  as  they  found  opportunity,  destroyed  the 
altars  of  their  idols,  and  caused  the  children  to  be  circum- 
cised. 


f 


Vol.  II.  O 


106  A  Complete  History  B.  C.  162. 

Mattathias  having  acted  the  part  of  a  brave  and  prudent 
general,  at  last  is  forced  to  submit  to  the  weight  of  a  hun- 
dred and  forty-six  years ;  ^hen  taking  leave  of  his  sons 
and  countrymen,  he  exhorted  them,  at  his  death,  to  de- 
fend their  nation  and  religion,  and  declared  his  son  Judas 
Maccabeus  his  successor  in  the  command  of  the  forces. 
Which  command  was  accordingly  conferred  on  him  after 
his  father's  death,  and  he  soon  made  it  appear  that  he  was 
worthy  of  it  by  his  courage  and  conduct :  for  Apollonius, 
governor  of  Samaria,  hearing  how  obstinately  the  Jews  de- 
fended themselves  against  the  king's  forces,  in  haste  ga- 
thered what  troops  he  could,  and  prepared  to  attack  them  : 
but  Judas  was  apprised  of  his  approach,  and  marching 
against  Apollonius,  routed  his  army  and  slew  him.  Ju- 
das, the  governor  of  Casio- Syria,  hearing  of  this  defeat,  and 
resolving  to  suppress  the  Jews  before  their  successes 
should  increase  their  numbers,  advanced  as  far  as  Betho- 
ron  with  a  numerous  army ;  but  Judas,  though  inferior 
in  number,  defeated  and  pursued  him,  killing  eight  hun- 
dred of  his  men  upon  the  spot ;  the  rest  fied  into  the  coun- 
try of  the  Philistines. 

Upon  this  news,  Antiochus  was  much  enraged,  and 
vowing  a  severe  revenge,  he  raises  a  powerful  arny  in 
Greece  and  other  parts,  resolved  to  invade  Judea  the 
next  spring.  But  finding  his  treasure  fall  short  of 
paying  so  vast  an  army,  (his  tribute  being  much  di- 
ivinished  by  the  frequent  revolts  and  commotions  in 
his  dominions)  he  intended  an  expedition  into  Persia, 
and  there  to  levy  tribute  to  defray  the  charge  of  the 
w'ar.  But  before  he  went,  he  constituted  his  favourite 
Lysias,  governor  of  all  the  country  from  Euphrates  to 
Egypt,  leaving  with  him  one  half  of  the  forces,  with 
orders  to  send  an  army  into  Judea,  utterly  to  destroy 
Jerusalem,  to  extirpate  the  Jews,  and  settle  strangers 
in  the  country.  Antiochus  having  thus  disposed  aflairs, 
marched  to  Persia;  and  Lysias,  the  better  to  execute 
his  master's  commands,  chose  Ptolemy  the  son  of 
Dorymenes,  Nicanor  and  Gorgias,  three  eminent  com- 
manders, to  manage  the  war  against  the  Jews.     These 


B.  C.  161.  of  the  Holy  Bible.  107 

with  an  army  of  forty  tliousand  foot,  and  seven  thou- 
sand horse,  prepared  to  inviide  Judca,  and  all  things  be- 
ing ready  they  marched  to  Emmaus,  where,  for  a  short 
time,  they  encamped.  During  their  stay  there,  their  army 
was  increased  by  the  additional  troops  of  the  Syrians, 
renegado  Jews,  and  other  neighbouring  nations,  among 
whom  came  several  merchants  to  buy  slaves,  thinking 
themselves  secure  of  victory  over  the  Jews. 

In  the  mean  time,  Judas  was  not  idle ;  for  he  and  his 
brethren  gathering  ^vhat  forces  they  could  in  so  short  a 
time,  resolved  to  defend  themselves ;  and  disposing 
their  little  army  as  regularly  as  the  condition  of  their 
affairs  would  permit,  Judas  in  a  short  speech  thus  ani. 
mated  them  :  "  There  never  w^as  a  fitter  opportunity, 
"  my  friends,  of  exercising  our  valour,  and  despising 
"  danger  than  now.  Liberty,  the  darling  principle  of 
"  nature,  is  the  cause  we  are  to  fight  for  ;  without 
"  which  we  must  never  expect  to  enjoy  our  religion. 
"  This  is  the  time  to  recover  our  ancient  laws  by  our 
"  courage,  or  pusillanimously  deliver  them  up,  and 
"  these  poor  remains  of  our  countrymen,  to  ignominy 
"  and  slavery.  Trust  in  God,  whose  cause  we  fight, 
"  and  question  not  but  he  will  bless  our  arms  with 
"  success  here,  or  give  us  a  glorious  reward  here- 
"  after." 

Judas  having  thus  encouraged  his  men,  took  post  at 
Maspha,  opposite  to  Jerusalem  ;  where,  hearing  that 
Gorgias  was  detached  with  five  thousand  foot,  and  a 
thousand  horse  to  surprise  the  Jewish  camp  by  night, 
he  marches  with  his  best  troops  to  fidl  upon  the  main 
body  of  the  enemy  at  Emmaus.  Gorgias  coming  to 
Judas's  camp,  found  it  empty,  and  concluding  that  the 
Jews  had  through  fear  fled  into  the  mountains,  pursued 
them  thither.  In  the  mean  time,  Judas  came  to  Gor- 
gias's  camp  by  break  of  day,  with  only  three  thousand 
men ;  which  the  enemy  seeing,  they  marched  out  to 
charge  them ;  but  Judas  soon  routed  them,  killed  three 
thousand  upon  the  spot,  and  pursued  the  rest  into  the 
country  of  Edom.  Then,  returning  to  attack  the  body 
which   Gorgias   had   led    into   the  mountains,   they  un- 


108  J  Complete  History  B.  C.  160.  . 

derstanding  that  their  main  body  had  been  defeated, 
their  camp  seized  and  burnt,  and  that  Judas's  army 
was  in  the  plains  ready  to  give  them  battle,  a  sudden 
panic  seized  them,  and  they  all  fled  into  the  neighbour- 
ing countries.  Judas's  victorious  army  returning  from 
the  pursuit,  entered  the  enemy's  camp,  which  they 
plundered,  carrying  off  a  great  booty  :  then  giving 
thanks  to  God,  the  author  of  their  success,  they  re- 
paired to  Jerusalem ;  where  they  enjoyed  the  fruits  of 
their  victory  during  the  remaining  part  of  that  year. 
But  Lysias,  impatient  at  these  disappointments,  and 
anxious  to  wipe  off  the  disgrace  of  this  defeat,  the  next 
year  raised  an  army  of  sixty  thousand  foot,  and  five 
thousand  horse,  and  came  in  person  to  extirpate  the 
Jews.  Judas  and  his  army  being  flushed  with  their 
former  success,  were  not  in  the  least  discouraged  at 
the  sight  of  this  numerous  army,  for  drawing  out  ten 
thousand  men  only,  they  gave  Lysias  battle,  whom 
they  routed,  and  cut  five  thousand  of  his  men  in  pieces. 
Lysias  upon  this  defeat  returned  to  Antioch  to  raise 
more  forces,  resolving  to  be  revenged  on  the  Jews  with 
a  more  powerful  army  than  hitherto  he  had  raised. 

The  enemy  being  thus  driven  out  of  Judea,  Judas  en- 
deavoured to  settle  the  affairs  of  his  country.  He  first 
began  by  cleansing  the  temple,  and  restoring  it  to  the 
same  condition  it  was  in  before,  causing  it  to  be  again 
dedicated,  and  the  worship  of  God  revived.  He  for- 
tified mount  Sion,  inclosing  it  with  walls  and  towers. 
Having  put  Jerusalem  into  this  posture  of  defence,  he 
fortified  Bethsura,  a  city  near  Edom,  and  made  war  on 
the  neighbouring  nations,  which  had  conspired  to  de- 
stroy the  Israelites  that  were  among  them.  After  this, 
having  divided  the  forces  among  his  brethren,  he  routed 
the  Ammonites  and  Edomites,  entered  the  country  of 
Giiead,  took  many  towns,  and  rescued  a  great  number 
of  Jews,  who  were  besieged  in  castles  and  towns,  and 
convoyed  them  safely  to  their  own  country,  with  their 
wi\es  and  children.  In  their  passage  home  they  be- 
sieged and  took  by  storm  the  city  of  Ephron,  which 
they  burnt,  and  put  all  the  men  to  the  s\\  ord.      Then 


B.  C.   IGO.  of  the  Holy  Bible.  109 

passing  tlie  Jordan,  they  came  into  the  plains  of  Judca, 
the  people  all  the  way  singing  hymns  of  victory,  and 
oflliing  sacrifices  for  the  success  of  the  army.  And  tliat 
which  was  most  remarkable,  in  these  several  expeditions 
and  engagements  was,  that  when  they  came  to  muster  the 
Jews,  there  was  not  a  man  wanting. 

While  Judas  and  his  brother  Jonathan  were  thus  suc- 
cessful, the  other  brother  Simon  was  not  idle  in  Galilee, 
whither  Judas  had  ordered  him  with  part  of  the  army  ; 
for  he  defeated  the  enemies  of  the  Jews  there,  and 
brought  away  all  the  Jews  that  were  in  those  parts.  But 
Joseph,  whom  Judas  had  left  to  govern  Jerusalem,  in 
his  absence,  venturing  out  with  too  small  a  party  to  at- 
tack Jamnia,  Gorgias,  who  was  governor  of  the  place, 
sallied  out  and  repulsed  them,  putting  two  thousand 
to  the  sword ;  the  rest  being  obliged  to  retreat  to  the 
frontiers. 

Things  going  on  in  Judea  so  unsuccessfully  under  An- 
tiochus's  generals,  he  meets  with  little  better  success  in 
Persia ;.  for  marching  to  the  city  of  Elymais,  or  Perse- 
polis,  to  plunder  it,  the  inhabitants  having  notice  of  his 
design,  prepared  to  give  him  a  warm  reception  ;  which 
they  did  with  such  resolution,  that  they  routed  his  forces, 
and  obliged  him  to  return  to  Babylon.  After  this,  being  at 
Ecbatane,  he  received  the  news  of  the  ill  success  of  his 
arms  in  Judea,  which  threw  him  into  great  perplexity ; 
however,  being  resolute  in  his  revenge  for  that  disgrace, 
he  hasted  forward ;  but,  by  the  ^vay,  falling  from  his 
chariot,  his  whole  body  was  bruised,  and  his  limbs 
crushed  with  the  fall.  This  accident  (or  rather  judgment 
upon  him  for  his  former  cruelties)  together  with  his  vex- 
ation for  the  late  disappointments,  occasioned  a  corrup- 
tion in  his  body  in  such  a  manner,  that  he  swarmed  with 
worms,  his  flesh  rotted  off,  and  his  trunk  was  one  entire 
mass  of  putrefaction.  And  now  he  repented,  but  too 
late,  of  the  many  barbarities  he  had  practised  against  the 
Jews.  Being  at  the  point  of  death,  he  declared  his  son 
Antiochus  Eupator  his  successor,  and  appointed  his 
foster-brother  and  favourite,  Philip,  regent  of  the  king- 


110 


A  Complete  History 


B.  C.  159. 


dom,  who  conveyed  the  dead  body  of  the  wicked  Anti- 
ochus  to  Antioch. 

The  Jews  reaped  little  advantage  by  the  death  of  An- 
liochus  Epiphanes,  for  his  son  and  successor  Antiochus 
Eupator  continued  the  war.  He  sent  his  general  Timo- 
theus  with  a  considerable  army  to  take  possession  of 
Judea ;  which  Judas  hearing,  he  immediately  marched 
out  of  Jerusalem,  and  gave  him  battle,  in  which  he  slew 
twenty  thousand  five  hundred  of  his  foot,  and  six  hun- 
dred horse,  Timotheus  himself  hardly  escaping  into  the 
fortress  of  Gazara,  where  his  brother  Chasreas  commanded. 
Judas  pursued  him  thither,  besieged  the  place,  and  in 
five  days  took  it.  Timotheus  having  hid  himself  in  a 
ditch,  was  dragged  thence  and  slain  with  his  brothers 
Chasreas  and  Apollophanes.  Lysias  hearing  how  unsuc- 
cessfully affairs  went  on  in  Judea,  gathered  an  army  of 
above  eighty  thousand,  with  which  he  marched  to  Jeru- 
salem :  but  coming  to  Bethsura,  he  thought  it  necessary 
to  take  that  place  in  his  way.  Whilst  he  was  attacking 
Bethsura,  Judas  having  notice  of  his  approach,  marched 
out  of  Jerusalem,  and  with  his  usual  bravery  fell  upon 
Lysias's  army,  killed  eleven  thousand  foot,  sixteen  hun- 
dred horse,  and  routed  the  rest.  Lysias  with  much  dif- 
ficulty escaped  to  Antioch ;  where,  considering  the  dis- 
tracted condition  of  affairs,  and  despairing  of  present  re- 
sources, he  was  obliged  to  grant  the  Jews  peace,  and  the 
liberty  of  their  religion. 

This  peace  was  but  of  short  continuance;  for  the 
neighbouring  people  gave  the  Jews  great  and  fi-equent 
disturbances  ;  particularly  the  people  of  Joppa,  who 
drowned  two  hundred  of  them  ;  for  which  Judas  soon 
took  a  severe  revenge ;  for  he  burnt  their  port,  and  put 
to  the  sword  all  the  inhabitants  who  had  escaped  the  fire. 
Then,  hearing  that  the  people  of  Jamnia  had  very  basely 
treated  the  Jews  that  lived  among  them,  he  came  and 
burnt  their  harbour,  and  all  the  ships  in  it.  After  this, 
learning  that  Timotheus  had  collected  some  troops  toge- 
ther, he  marched  against  him  ;  but  on  his  way  was  at- 
tacked by  a  party  of  five  thousand  Arabian  foot  and  five 
hundred  horse,  \vhom  he  defeated,  and  afterwards  coii- 


B.  C.  159.  of  the  Holy  Bible,  111 

eluded  a  peace  with  them.  Then  taking  the  strong  town 
of  Casphim,  he  attacked  Characa,  where  Tiniothcus  had 
left  ten  thousand  men  in  garrison,  and  put  them  all  to 
the  sword.  In  fine  he  routed  Timotheus,  took  him  pri- 
soner, and  dismissed  him,  upon  condition  that  he  should 
release  the  Jews  he  had  taken  prisoners.  After  which, 
he  slew  twenty-five  thousand  men  at  Carnion,  retook 
Ephron,  and  defeated  Gorgias,  who,  himself,  narrowiy 
escaped. 

But  notwithstanding  these  successes,  the  Jews  could 
not  call  themselves  entirely  masters  of  Jerusalem,  for 
the  citade'f  still  held  out  for  the  king  of  Syria;  and  the 
garrison,  consisting  of  Macedonians  and  renegado  Jews, 
was  very  troublesome  to  such  as  resorted  to  the  temple. 
Therefore  Judas  thought  it  highly  necessary  to  attempt 
the  reduction  of  the  place ;  and  having  prepared  his  en- 
gines and  machines  for  besieging  the  citadel,  he  soon 
straitened  the  garrison.  The  besieged  found  means  to 
acquaint  king  Antiochus  with  their  distress,  who  pro- 
mised to  relieve  them ;  and  for  that  end  gathered  an 
army  of  a  hundred  and  ten  thousand  foot,  twenty  thou- 
sand horse,  and  thirty  elephants  with  castles  on  their 
backs,  full  of  archers.  Mcnelaus,  whom  we  have^men- 
tioned  before,  and  whom  Antiochus  had  appointed  high- 
priest,  pretended  to  entreat  the  king  for  his  people  ;  but 
his  prayers  only  tended  to  procure  to  himself  the  supreme 
authority.  Lysias,  who  plainly  saw  through  this  hypo- 
crite, cautioned  the  king  against  these  villainous  designs 
and  practices  of  Menelaus,  assuring  him  that  Menelaus 
was  the  occasion  of  all  those  troubles :  upon  which  the 
king  caused  him  to  be  seized,  and  cast  down  headlong 
from  the  top  of  a  tower. 

Antiochus,  preparing  to  march  to  the  relief  of  the  ci- 
tadel of  Jerusalem,  passed  through  Idumea,  where,  in 
his  way,  he  laid  siege  to  Bethsura.  a  strong  town,  which 
not  long  before  held  out  against  his  general  Lysias.  An- 
tiochus with  great  fury  attacks  the  place,  which  made  a 
good  defence,  for  the  inhabitants  by  their  bold  sallies 
burnt  and  disordere<d  his  engines,  so  that  he  spent  much 
time  about  it  to  no  purpose.     At  last,  Judas,  who   had 


112  A  Complete  History  B.  C.  159, 

pressed  the  citadel  with  all  his  might,  fearing  the  Beth- 
surans  would  be  forced  to  submit  to  the  superior  force 
of  the  enemy,  left  the  siege  of  the  citadel,  and  came  to 
the  relief  of  Bethsura.  Intending,  if  he  could,  to  sur- 
prise the  king's  forces,  he  marched  in  the  night,  and  at- 
tacking one  quarter  of  the  army  in  the  dark,  he  killed 
four  thousand,  and  struck  a  terror  into  the  whole  camp. 
The  next  morning,  notwithstanding  their  numbers,  and 
the  terrible  appearance  of  the  elephants,  Judas  gave 
them  batde,  in  which  Eleazar,  the  brother  of  Judas,  per- 
formed an  act  of  astonishing  bravery  ;  for  seeing  an  ele- 
phant larger  than  the  rest  with  the  royal  arms,  and  thinks 
ing  the  king  had  been  upon  him  ;  he  rushed  into  the 
thickest  of  the  enemies,  killing  all  that  stood  in  his  way, 
and  getting  under  the  belly  of  the  elephant,  he  thrust 
his  sword  into  his  body  ;  the  beast  fell,  and  tie  himself 
was  crushed  to  death  with  the  fall.  But  how  resolute  and 
brave  soever  the  Jews  were,  they  were  so  overpowered 
by  the  unequal  numbers  of  the  king's  troops,  that  they 
w^ere  obliged  to  retire  to  Jerusalem.  Whereupon,  An- 
tiochus  dividing  his  army,  with  one  part  carried  on  the 
siege  of  Bethsura,  and  with  the  other  himself  marched 
to  Jerusalem. 

The  Bethsurans  seeing  no  prospect  of  relief  from  their 
friends,  surrendered  the  town  upon  terms,  and  no  acts  of 
hostility  were  offered  to  them.  From  Bethsura  the  king's 
forces  marched  to  Jerusalem  ;  where  Judas  had  shut  up 
himself  and  friends  in  the  temple.  They  defended  the 
place  with  great  resolution,  but  must  inevitably  have 
surrendered,  or  been  taken  by  storm,  or  for  want  of  pro- 
vision,  if  a  fortunate  circumstance  had  not  relieved  them ; 
which  was  this.  While  king  Antiochus  and  Lysias  were 
busy  in  reducing  the  Jews,  Philip,  whom  the  old  king 
had  constituted  Regent  during  the  young  king's  minority, 
returning  from  Media  and  Persia  with  an  army,  usurp- 
ed the  government  of  the  kingdom.  Whereupon,  Lysias 
advised  the  king  to  grant  the  Jews  peace,  and  permit 
them  to  be  governed  by  their  own  laws,  that  he  might 
with  more  Siifety  look  after  his  own  -.flairs  T'h.is  pro- 
posal pleased  the  king,    who  immeduitely  sent  to  offer 


1 


B.C.   158.  of  the  Hoi ij  Bible.  113 

peace  to  the  Jews,  who  readily  accepted  of  it ;  which  be- 
ing ratified  by  oath,  they  came  out  of  the  temple.  But 
when  Antiochus  had  entered  the  tcm|jle,  and  saw  the 
strength  of  tlie  \\ail  that  encompassed  it,  he,  contrary  to 
liis  oath,  caused  the  walls  and  fortifications  to  be  demo- 
lished. Then  deposing  Onias,  he  made  Alcimus  High- 
priest  in  his  room,  and  took  Onias  along  with  him  to  An- 
tioch,  whither  he  hastened,  and  found  Philip  had  made 
himself  master  of  the  city  ;  but  giving  him  battle  he  recov- 
ered it. 

Antiochus  Eupator  did  not  sit  long  on  the  throne  ;  for 
Demetrius  Philopater,  the  son  of  Seleucus,  going  from. 
Rome  to  Syria  by  sea  with  forces,  seized  the  port  of  Tri- 
polis  ;  and  having  possessed  himself  of  a  great  part  of  the 
kingdom,  he  entered  Antioch  ;  where  the  army  secured 
Antiochus  and  Lysias,  with  intent  to  deliver  them  up  to 
Demetrius :  but  he  refusing  to  see  them,  they  were  put 
death  by  the  soldiers,  and  Demetrius  took  possession  of 
the  whole  kingdom. 

Alcimus,  whom  Antiochus  Eupator  had  created  High- 
priest,  and  who  had  voluntarily  defiled  himself  at  the 
time  when  the  Jews  mixed  with  the  Gentiles,  and  was 
thereby  become  imworthy  of  the  priesthood,  of  which 
he  had  been  deprived,  to  insinuate  himself  into  the  flivour 
of  Demetrius,  accused  Judas  the  Maccabee,  and  his  par- 
ty, of  carrying  on  the  war,  of  exciting  sedition,  of  being 
enemies  to  the  kings  of  Syria,  and  of  persecuting  his  faith- 
ful servants.  Then  advising  Demetrius  to  send  some 
person  to  Judea  to  enquire  into  the  posture  of  affairs, 
Demetrius  gave  that  commission  to  Bacchides,  a  flwour- 
ite  of  Antiochus  Epiphanes,  a  very  powerful  man,  and 
prastor  of  Mesopotamia  ;  and  recommending  Alcimus  to 
him,  he  gave  him  power  to  treat  Judas  and  his  followers 
as  he  pleased.  Then  confirming  Alcimus  in  the  priest- 
hood, he  and  Bacchides  at  the  head  of  an  armed  force 
came  to  Judea.  The  doctors  of  the  law,  meeting  toge- 
ther to  consult  what  to  do  on  this  occasion,  at  last  agreed 
to  wait  on  Bacchides  and  Alcimus  to  offer  peace.  Being 
promised  safe  conduct,  they  accordingly  attended ;  but 
the  treacherous  Alcimus  having  got  them  in  his  power, 

Vol.  IL  P 


114  A  Complete  History  B.  C.  157. 

caused  sixl3'-two  of  them  to  be  seized  and  put  to  death  in 
one  day,  contrary  to  his  word  given  them.  This  perfidy 
incensed  the  people,  and  made  them  more  cautious.  How- 
ever Bacchides,  ^^ho  had  the  po^^'er  in  his  hands,  put 
Alcimus  into  possession  of  the  country,  and  left  troops 
to  support  him.  Alcimus  being  master  of  Judea,  made 
a  great  slaughter  of  the  Jews  that  were  not  for  him.  Ju- 
das openly  declared  against  Alcimus,  and  stood  upon 
his  defence  ;  and  Alcimus  being  sensible  that  his  party 
was  not  the  most  powerful,  thought  it  most  expedient  to 
return  to  the  king  to  strengthen  his  interest  by  additional 
forces  ;  and  being  arrived  at  court,  he  charged  Judas  and 
his  followers  with  man}''  crimes :  which  accusation  being 
heard  in  prejudice  of  Judas  and  his  friends,  Demetrius 
sent  Nicanor,  one  of  the  prime  men  of  his  court,  with  or- 
ders to  seize  the  Je\\ish  general,  to  destroy  all  his  party, 
and  to  set  up  Alcimus. 

Nicanor  coming  to  Jerusalem,  and  pretending  he  came 
in  a  friendly  manner  to  let  them  know  the  good  inclina- 
tions of  the  king  to  the  Jews,  they  were  so  credulous  as 
to  believe  him,  and  received  him  and  his  army  with  great 
hospitality.  But  Judas,  who  was  as  politic  as  he  was 
brave,  soon  found  out  Nicanor's  design  against  his  per- 
son; and  therefore  retiring  to  his  friends,  resolved  to  de- 
fend himself  by  open  force.  Near  Capharsalam  there 
happened  a  skirmish,  in  which  Judas  being  overpowered 
by  numbers,  was  forced  to  retreat  into  the  citadel  of  Je- 
rusalem, having  lost  five  thousand  men  in  the  action. 
Nicanor  pursued  him,  and  went  up  to  mount  Sion,  where 
some  of  the  priests  met  him,  shewing  him  the  sacrifices, 
which,  they  told  him,  they  were  going  to  offer  for  the 
safety  of  king  Demetrius.  Nicanor  in  a  rage  threatened 
them,  that  if  they  would  not  deliver  Judas  to  him,  he 
would  raze  the  temple  to  the  ground.  But  being  disap- 
pointed of  his  aim  in  taking  Judas,  he  was  resolved  to  be 
revenged  on  some  body ;  and  therefore  having  been  in- 
formed, that  there  was  a  man  named  Razias,  eminent  for 
his  steady  constancy  in  the  religion  of  his  country,  he 
sent  a  guard  of  five  hundred  men,  to  seize  him ;  tor  he 
thought  the  loss  of  so  considerable  a  person  ^vould   be  a 


B.  C.  15(1.  of  the  Holy  Bible.  .  115 

great  affliction  to  the  Jews.  This  company  attacked  the 
crood  old  man  in  the  castle,  which  he  defended  bravelv  : 
but  at  last  being  overpowered,  and  finding-  himself  just 
ready  to  fall  into  the  enemy's  hands,  rather  than  be  a  re- 
proach to  his  nation  by  submitting  to  these  infidels,  he 
thrust  liis  sword  into  his  own  body  and  died. 

Nicanor  leaving  Jerusalem  in  a  rage,  and  breathing 
nothing  but  revenge  against  the  Jews,  encamped  at  a  vil- 
lage called  Betheron,  where  he  was  joined  by  several  re- 
cruits from  Syria.  Judas  was  not  long  behind  him ;  for 
he  drew  out  of  Jerusalem,  and  with  his  little  army  en- 
camped at  Adasus,  within  thirty  furlongs  of  the  enemy. 
Though  Judas's  army  scarcely  deserved  that  name,  (for 
it  consisted  but  of  one  thousand  men,  and  Nicanor's  of 
nine  thousand)  yet  he  was  resolved  to  give  them  battle, 
trusting  more  to  the  merits  of  his  cause,  than  numbers  of 
men.  Then  in  a  short  harangue,  at  the  head  of  his  troops, 
he  encouraged  them  not  to  be  dismayed  at  the  inequality 
of  their  numbers,  but  to  consider  the  cause  they  fought 
for ;  and  falling  on,  a  bloody  fight  ensued  ;  in  which  Ni- 
canor, the  enemy's  general,  was  killed,  and  his  whole 
army  cut  off,  not  one  man  escaping.  Judas's  victorious 
troops  proclaimed  their  success  to  the  country  by  sound 
of  trumpet  wherever  they  came,  which  was  welcome 
news  to  the  Jews.  When  they  searched  the  field,  they 
found  the  body  of  Nicanor,  which  carrying  to  Jerusalem, 
Judas  ordered  the  head  to  be  hung  upon  the  top  of  the 
citadel,  first  cutting  out  the  tongue  for  the  blasphemy  it 
had  uttered,  which  was  thrown  over  the  wall  to  the  fowls : 
after  which  they  instituted  a  festival  in  memory  of 
this  victory  on  the  thirteenth  of  the  month  Adar,  or 
August. 

About  this  time  died  Alcimus  the  high-priest,  who,  at- 
tempting to  demolish  the  old  wall  which  encompassed  the 
priest's  apartment,  was  struck  with  a  painful  distemper, 
of  which  he  miserably  died. 

After  this  the  Jews  remained  absolute  masters  of  Jeru- 
salem, had  peace  for  some  time,  and  concluded  an  alli- 
ance with  the  Romans ;  but  soon  after  Demetrius  sent 
Bacchides  against  them,  with  an  army  of  -choice  troops. 


116  A  Complete  History  B.  C.  155. 

Bacchicles  marched  by  the  way  that  leads  to  Galgala,  took 
that  city,  and  slew  abundance  of  people  ;  after  which' they 
advanced  to  Jerusalem.  Bacchides  hearing  that  Judas 
was  encamped  at  Berezoth,  sent  a  detachment  of  two 
and  twenty  thousand  foot,  and  two  thousand  horse,  to 
surprise  him. 

Judas,  notwithstanding  his  troops  were  but  a  handful 
in  comparison  of  the  enemy,  still  retained  his  zeal  and 
courage,  and  animates  his  men  to  behave  themselves  as 
usual  under  such  disadvantages;  but  they  were  so  alarmed 
at  the  numbers  of  the  enemy,  that  many  of  them  de- 
serted, till  at  last  he  had  but  eight  hundred  men  left. 
However  with  these  he  resolved  to  try  his  fortune  ;  and 
when  his  soldiers  advised  him  to  retreat  and  wait  for  a 
iiupph^,  he  \\\\\\  disdain  answered  them  :  "  God  forbid 
"  that  the  sun  should  ever  see  me  turn  my  back  to  my 
"  enemies  ;  for  I  will  never  stain  the  glory  of  our  former 
*'  actions  gained  by  so  much  valour,  withiin  ignominious 
*'  flight."  Then  animating  them  by  his  own  example, 
he  charged  and  broke  the  right  wing,  where  Bacchides 
in  person  commanded,  and  pursued  them  to  the  moun- 
tains of  Azotus;  but  having  not  forces  enough  to  keep 
the  left  wing  in  play,  that  followed  and  enclosed  him.  The 
action  was  very  hot  and  obstinate  on  the  side  of  the  Jews, 
Avho  sold  their  lives  at  a  dear  rate.  At  last  Judas,  wholly 
encompassed  and  overpowered  by  the  enemy,  was  killed  ; 
and  his  men  thus  deprived  of  their  heroick  leader  were 
forced  to  fl)^  Simon  and  Jonathan  having  obtained  a 
truce  of  Bacchides,  conveyed  the  body  of  their  brother 
Judas  to  the  city  of  Modin,  ^\'here  they  buried  it  in 
their  father's  sepulchre,  with  all  the  funeral  honours  due 
to  the  memory  of  so  brave  a  man,  and  so  excellent  a  com- 
mt'nder. 

The  Syrian  general,  by  the  assistance  of  Judas's  ene- 
mies, soon  made  himself  master  of  the  country,  and  dis- 
posed of  the  government  into  the  hands  of  such  only  as 
were  enemies  to  Judas's  friends,  who  were  used  with 
greater  barbarity  than  was  ever  practised  since  the  return 
of  the  Jews  from  the  Babylonish  captivity.  In  this  mi- 
serable  condition  of  afiairi>,  those  Jews  who  persevered 


B.C.    156.  of  the  Hoi  ij  Bible.  117 

HI  ihcir  integrity,  chose  Jonathan,  brother  to  Judas,  their 
general  :  which  wiien  Bacchides  understood,  lie  at- 
tempted by  fair  means  to  get  him  into  his  power  ;  but 
Jonathan  and  liis  brother  Simon  having  timely  notice  of 
it,  withdrew  with  their  friends  out  of  his  reach,  into 
the  desart  of  Thecue,  and  coming  to  the  lake  Asphar, 
tliey  made  a  stand  there.  Bacchides  soon  after  followed 
them  with  all  his  army  ;  and  Jonathan  hearing  of  his 
approach,  sent  his  brother  John  to  convey  the  baggage 
into  the  country  of  the  Nabutheans,  who  were  their 
friends  :  but  on  their  march  they  were  attacked  by  the 
people  of  Madabab,  who  slew  John  and  his  party,  and 
carried  off  their  baggage.  For  which  some  time  after 
Jonathan  was  revenged  of  them  ;  for  surprising  them  as 
they  were  making  merry  at  a  wedding,  he  slew  many  of 
them,  and  obliged  the  rest  to  fly  to  the  mountains.  After 
which,  Jonathan  and  his  party  returned  to  the  river  Jor- 
dan, whither  Bacchides  pursued  them,  and  coming  up 
with  them  on  the  sabbath,  supposing  they  would  not 
violate  the  religion  of  the  day,  he  expected  to  make 
an  easy  conquest.  But  Jonathan  encouraged  his  men 
to  dispute  it  bravely,  by  shewing  them  the  danger; 
for  the  enemv  was  in  the  front,  and  the  river  in  the 
rear,  so  that  they  could  hope  for  no  safety  by  flight. 
Then  praying  to  God  for  success  they  engaged  ;  and  Jo- 
nathan seeing  Bacchides  very  active  in  encouraging  his 
men,  charged  him  with  all  his  miglit ;  but  Bacchides  de- 
clining, sheltered  himself  among  his  soldiers.  Jonathan 
finding  the  enemy's  numbers  too  great,  and  being  no 
longer  able  to  resist  them,  with  his  friends  threw  them- 
seh'es  into  the  water,  and  swam  the  Jordan,  the  enemy 
not  daring  to  pursue  them.  Upon  which,  Bacchides  re- 
turned to  the  citadel  of  Jerusalem  with  the  loss  of  nearly 
two  thousimd  of  his  men. 

Bacchides  having  retired  to  the  capital,  fortified  the 
neighbouring  towns,  and  put  garrisons  into  them  ;  and 
taking  hostages  for  the  fidelity  of  the  inhal^itants,  he  re- 
turned to  the  king,  and  the  country  enjoyed  peace  for 
two  years.  During  which  time  Jonathan  and  his  partv 
lived  quietly ;  but  at  the  end  of  X^\o  }ears  his  enemies 


118  J  Complete  His  ton/  B.  C.  154. 

prevailed  ■with  Bacchides  to  return  :  of  which,  when  Jo- 
nathan had  notice,  he  slew  the  advisers  of  it,  and  with- 
drew with  his  brother  Simon  and  his  followers  to  Betha- 
laga,  a  town  situated  near  the  desart,  where  he  fortified 
himself.  Bacchides  pursues  and  besieges  him  for  some 
time ;  but  Jonathan,  making  a  sally  in  the  night,  occa- 
sioned a  great  slaughter  among  the  followers  of  Bac- 
chides :  his  brother  Simon,  with  his  party,  attacking 
them  in  another  quarter,  burnt  their  engines  of  war,  and 
put  many  to  the  sword.  This  defeat  so  exasperated  Bac- 
chides, that  he  vented  his  malice  on  the  renegado  Jews 
■who  were  the  occasion  of  his  return  and  disgrace.  This 
last  defeat  inclined  Bacchides,  however,  to  an  accommo- 
dation ;  and  therefore  finding  Jonathan  and  his  party 
would  never  suffer  him  to  be  quiet,  and  that  it  would  be 
a  tedious  and  diflicult  work  to  reduce  them,  a  treaty  was 
proposed,  and  Bacchides  took  an  oath  no  more  to  molest 
the  Jews.  In  pursuance  of  this  treaty,  he  restored  to  Jo- 
nathan the  prisoners  of  Judea,  and  never  more  returned 
into  the  country. 

The  war  being  thus  happily  terminated  in  Judea,  Jo- 
nathan lived  very  quietly  at  Machma,  where  he  go- 
verned the  people  in  peace,  and  administered  justice  as 
supreme,  having  a  watchful  eye  over  the  deserters  from 
the  religion  crs'  his  country.  His  power  was  soon  enlarged 
by  an  unexpected  accident  between  two  rival  princes : 
for  Alexander,  a  son  of  Antiochus  Epiphanes,  coming 
into  Syria,  by  the  treachery  of  the  garrison,  who  hated 
the  haui^hiy  temper  of  Demetrius,  delivered  up  Ptole- 
mais.  Demetrius  hearing  that  Alexander  had  possessed 
himself  of  Ptolemais,  prepared  to  recover  it ;  in  order 
to  which,  he  thought  it  necessary  to  court  Jonathan,  who 
he  thought  at  this  time  might  prove  a  dangerous  enemy  ; 
liud  therefore  concluded  an  alliance  with  him,  for  fear  he 
should  join  \\  ith  Alexander  ;  and,  to  engage  him  the  more 
in  his  intejej-;t,  he  gave  him  lull  power  to  raise  forces,  to 
provide  arms,  and  ordered  the  hostages  which  were  in  the 
citadel  to  be  delivered  up  to  him. 

Upon  the  offer  of  these  conditions,  Jonathan  came  to 
Jerusalem,  and  read  his  orders,  which  "when  the  garrison 


1 


B.  C.  148.  of  the  Holt;  Bible,  119 

and  rcnegaclocs  heard,  they  immediately  obeyed,  and 
delivered  up  the  hostages.  After  whieh,  Jonatiian  pufi^cd 
the  giirrisons  of  Bcthsura  and  Jerusalem ;  the  latter  of 
>vhicli  he  fortified,  building  the  walls  of  square  stone,  the 
better  to  defend  it  against  the  insults  of  an  enemy.  Be- 
sides., this,  Demetrius  made  the  Jews  more  advantageous 
ofters  than  at  other  times  they  could  have  expected :  but 
Jonathan  and  the  Jews,  who  had  suffered  so  much  by  the 
lickle  and  cruel  temper  of  Demetrius,  did  not  believe 
him  sincere,  but  looked  upon  this  generosity  as  an  act  of 
force  and  necessity  ;  and  therefore  they  joined  Alexander, 
who,  to  encourage  Jonathan  and  his  party  to  strengthen 
his  interest,  promised  to  make  Jonathan  High-priest. 
Demetrius  too  late  perceived  his  error  in  his  former  cru- 
elty to  the  Jews,  who,  though  he  promised  them  all  ima- 
ginable privileges  and  immunities,  with  the  restoration 
of  their  religion,  and  whate\er  else  they  could  desire, 
still  inclined  to  Alexander,  who,  partly  with  mercenary 
troops,  and  partly  with  those  that  revolted  in  Syria, 
marched  to  meet  Demetrius,  whom  he  soon  defeated  and 
slew. 

Alexander,  being  thus  possessed  of  Syria  by  the  death 
of  Demetrius,  wrote  to  Ptolemy,  king  of  Egypt,  and  de- 
manded his  daughter  Cleopatra  in  marriage.  Ptolemy 
readily  consented,  and  appointing  Ptolemais  for  the 
place  of  consummation,  brought  his  daughter  thither, 
giving  her  a  royal  portion.  Jonathan  the  High-priest 
was  invited  to  the  wedding  by  Alexander,  who  received 
him  with  great  honour,  and  appointed  him,  next  to  him- 
self, prince  and  chief  of  Judea. 

Alexander  did  not  long  enjoy  this  prosperous  state ; 
for  Demetrius,  the  son  of  the  kite  Demetrius,  resolving 
to  avenge  his  father's  death,  and  recover  his  kingdom, 
came  from  Crete  into  Syria  with  an  army  of  mercenaries. 
He  soon  gained  over  to  his  interest  Apollonius  Davus, 
the  governor  of  Coelo-Syria,  who  entered  Judea  to  oblige 
Joniithan  to  desert  Alexander's  party,  and  unite  with 
Demetrius.  Apollonius,  with  his  army,  came  to  Jam- 
nia,  and  sent  a  challenge  to  Jonathan  to  leave  the  fast- 
nesses in  the  mountains,   and  combdt  with  him  m  the 


120  '  4  Complete  History  B.  C.  142. 

plains.     Jonathan  was  so   irritated  by  this  proposal,  that 
he   collected  ten  thousand  men,   and  taking  his  brother 
Simon  with  him,  marched  directly  to  Joppa,  which  was 
garrisoned  by  the   forces  of  Apollonius.     Jonathan  pre- 
sently  shut   up   the  place ;   but  the  people,  fearing  they 
should   be  taken  by   storm,   opened  their  gates  to  him. 
Apollonius  hearing  of  the  surrender  of  Joppa,  resolved 
to  put  a  stop  to  the  progress  of  the  Jewish  general ;  and 
taking    three    thousand   foot,    marched   to  Joppa ;     then 
making  a  feint,  as  if  he  would  retreat,  with  a  design  to 
draw  Jonathan  into  the  plain,  he  planted  an  ambuscade 
at  the  same  time  in  the  hollow  parts  of  the  country,  con- 
sisting  of  a  thousand  horse,   by  which  he  intended  to 
encompass    Jonathan.      Jonathan    was    apprised   of  this 
stratagem,  and  being  resolved  to  be  no  longer  braved  by 
the   enemy,    formed  his   army  as  advantageously  as  the 
time  would   admit ;    gave   the  command  of  part   of  the 
army  to  his  brother  Simon,  and  encouraging  his  soldiers 
to   behave  Uiemsclvcs   like   men,  he  cautioned   them   to 
forbear   encountering   the  enemy  at  first,   but  to  receive 
their  arrows  with  tlieir  shields,  till  the  enemy  had  spent 
them,  and  then  to  charge  them.     Apollonius's  horse,  in 
whom   he   chiefly   confided,   began   a   distant  fight,  dis- 
charging continual  flights  of  arrows   from   morning   till 
noon,    without   any    execution.       Simon   perceiving   the 
enemy    weary   with    shooting,    and   their   arrows    spent, 
with  his  party  attacked  and  routed  them,  whilst  Jonathan 
fell   on   their  main   body,    ^vhich  soon  gave  \vay.     The 
whole   army    of  Apollonius   thus   broken,    fled  over  the 
plain  to  Azotus,  Avhither  the   Jews  pursued   them,    and 
entered  the  town  with  them.     In  this  city  was  a  famous 
temple  of  the  idol  Dagon,  into  which  the  Syrians  fled ; 
but  Jonathan  setting  fire  to  it,  burnt  them  and  the  tem- 
ple.    The  number  of  them  that  were  skiin  in  the  action, 
and  burnt  in  the  temple  of  Dagon,  amounted  to  eight 
thousand. 

After  this,  Jonathan  burnt  and  destroj'ed  all  the  neigh- 
bouring towns  about  Azotus ;  and  marciiing  to  Ascalon, 
with  design  to  besiege  it,  the  inhiil/itants  nqt  daring  to 
provoke  the  victorious  Jews,  came  out  with  izsx\-y  token 


\ 


B.'  C.  141.  of  the  Hohj  B'lUe.  121 

of  friendship,  offering  an  alHiince  and  considerable  pre- 
sents to  the  general,  who  commending  them  lor  their 
good-wiil,  returned  in  triumph  to  Jerusalem,  laden  with 
the  sj)oils  of  the  enemy.  Alexander  hearing  of  the  de- 
feat of  his  general  Apollonius,  the  better  to  mask  his  hy- 
pocrisy, sent  messengers  to  Jonathan  to  congratulate  hi':; 
good  success  against  Apollonius,  who,  he  assured  him, 
had  acted  without  any  commission  in  the  late  affair  from 
him,  at  the  same  time  making  Jonathan,  his  friend  and 
ally  -(as  he  called  him)  a  present  of  Jewels  of  considerable 
value. 

About  this  time,  Ptolemy  Philometcr,  with  a  very 
gitat  force,  naval  and  land,  arrived  in  Syria,  under  pre- 
tence of  assisting  his  son-in-law  Alexander.  In  his  march , 
all  the  towns  as  far  as  Azotus,  submitted  and  received 
him  bv  Alexander's  order  ;  but  when  he  came  to  Azotus, 
the  people  made  a  great  complaint  against  Jonathan  and 
his  soldiers,  who  had  burnt  the  temple  of  Dagon,  and 
overrun  the  country  with  fire  and  sword.  Ptolemy  gave 
them-  a  patient  heariiig,  but  promised  nothing,  being 
unwilling  to  disoblige  Jonathan,  who  hearing  of  the  ar- 
rival of  Ptolemy,  went  out  to  meet  him^  and  was  ho- 
nourably and  magnificently  received  by  him ;  then  ac- 
companying him  in  his  way  as  far  as  the  river  Eleu- 
thcrus,  he  took  his  leave  of  him,  and  returned  to  Jeru- 
salem. 

As  Ptolemy  was  on  his  way  to  Ptolemais,  he  narrowly 
escaped  an  ambuscade  laid  for  him  by  Ammonius  at  the 
instigation  of  Alexander.  Which  being  discovered,  Plo- 
lemy  wrote  to  Alexander,  and  dcrnunded  justice  on  the 
traitor;  but  Alexander  declining  it,  Ptolemy  plainly  per- 
ceived Alexander  was  the  author  of  the  plot,  for  which 
he  conceived  an  implacable  hatred  against  him,  and  which 
soon  "terminated  in  his  ruin  :  for  the  people,  grown 
weary  of  Alexander  at  Antioch,  Ptolemy  was  courted  to 
accept  the  government  of  Asia,  which  he  modestly  de- 
clining, advised  them  to  accept  of  Dcmetiius,  whom 
thej'-  accordingly  received,  Piolemy  bestowing  his  daugh- 
ter, whom  he  had  before  married  to  Alexander,  on  De- 
metrius.    Alexander  enraged  at  this,  marched  from  Ci- 

Vol.  IL  Q 


122  A  Complete  History  ,  B.  C.  141. 

licia,  with  a  great  army,  invaded  Syria  and  the  country 
of  Antioch  wiih  fire  and  sword.  But  Ptolemy,  with  his 
new  son-ill-law  Demetrius,  met  and  gave  him  batde, 
wherein  Alexander  was  worsted,  and  forced  to  flv  to 
Arabia,  where  Zabclus,  king  of  the  country,  cut  off  his 
head,  and  sent  it  to  Ptolemy  for  a  present.  Ptolemy 
survived  his  son-in-law  but  a  short  time ;  for  he  died  of 
the  v^'ounds  he  received  in  the  last  action,  five  days  after, 
and  Demetrius  remained  in  peaceable  possession  of  his 
father's  kingdom. 

During  these  transactions,  Jonathan  had  laid  siege  to 
the  citadel  of  Jerusalem,  and  some  of  the  garrison  escap- 
ing by  night,  came  and  acquainted  Demetrius  with  it, 
who  thereupon  marched  from  Antioch  with  an  army  to 
relieve  it ;  and  coming  to  Ptolemais,  he  sent  for  Jona- 
than to  appear  before  him  there.  However,  Jonathan 
continued  the  siege,  but  went  attended  with  the  elders 
and  priests  to  Ptolemais,  carrying  a  large  present  of  gold, 
silver,  and  other  valuable  things,  with  which  he  made 
his  peace  with  Demetrius,  who  treated  him  very  honour- 
ably, confirming  him  in  the  priesdiood,  and  bestowing 
on  him  the  government  of  Judea,  Samaria,  Joppa,  and 
Galilee,  M'ith  other  neighbouring  towns,  on  condition  that 
he  should  pay  three  hundred  talents. 

Aftairs  being  thus  settled,  and  Demetrius  suspecting 
no  further  danger  from  any  enemies,  first  reduces  the 
soldiers'  pay,  and  soon  after  disbanded  most  of  them, 
retaining  only  those  foreigners  who  accompanied  him 
from  Crete.  This  procured  him  the  hatred  of  the  army, 
A\ho  from  other  kings,  though  in  the  most  profotmd 
peace,  received  their  full  pay :  this  opportunity  one 
Tryphon,  a  commander  under  Alexander,  artfully  seized  ; 
and  which  he  the  more  easily  improved  by  the  assistance 
of  Malchus  the  Arabian,  u  ho  had  young  Antiochus,  the 
son  of  the  late  king  Alexander,  under  his  care.  Tryphon 
with  much  difficulty  prevails  v\  ith  Malchus  to  deliver  the 
young  prince  to  him,  whom,  according  to  his  promise, 
lie  proclaimed  king.  Jonathan  embraced  this  opportunity 
to  ask  leave  of  Demetrius  to  expel  those  who  were  in  the 
citadel  of  Jerusalem,    and  the  other  fortresses  of  Judea, 


B.  C.  140.  of  the  Holy  Bible.  123 

concludin.u;,  that  Demetrius,  to  keep  him  in  his  interest, 
Avould  refuse  liim  nothin*^.  Demetrius  g-rantcd  his  re- 
quest ;  but  on  condition  thai  he  should  send  iiim  suecourii. 
Jonathan  sent  three  diousand  men  to  Antioch,  who  did 
Demetrius  great  service  ;  for  the  Anliochians  taking  arms, 
the  Jews  behaved  themselves  so  well,  and  defended  De- 
metrius,  that  he  owed  his  life  to  them  on  this  occasion. 
But  this  Demetrius  soon  forgot ;  for  he  broke  his  promise 
■with  Jonathan,  ar.d  threatened  him  with  military  execu- 
tion, if  he  did  not  pay  the  tribute  usually  given  by  his 
predecessors.  This  he  had  certainly  done,  had  he  not 
been  prevented  by  Tr}  phon,  against  whom  he  was  forced 
to  march  with  the  army  he  hud  piepared  to  chastise  Jona- 
than. Tryphon  returning  from  Arabia  with  young  Anti- 
ochus,  set  the  diadem  on  his  head  ;  upon  which  the  Syri- 
an troops,  who  had  been  deprived  of  pay  by  Demetrius, 
revolted  to  Antiochus,  who  in  one  battle  recovered  the  ci- 
ty of  Antioch.  Then  Antiochus  sending  letters  to  Jona- 
than, complimented  him  with  the  title  of  friend  and  ally  ; 
confirmed  him  in  the  priesthood,  and  the  four  govern- 
ments, v\  hich  had  been  formerly  granted  to  him,  with  ma- 
ny other  privileges.  Besides,  he  appointed  Simon,  Jona- 
than's brother,  governor  of  the  coast  from  the  city  of  Tyre 
to  the  frontiers  of  Egypt.  Jonathan,  not  a  little  pleased 
with  these  proceedings,  sent  messengers  back  to  x\ntio. 
chus  and  Tryphon,  assuring  them  of  his  friendship,  and 
that  he  would  readily  join  them  against  Demetrius  as  the 
common  enemy. 

Jonathan  soon  taught  Antiochus  how  useful  his  in- 
terest was  to  any  prince  that  confederated  with  him;  for 
having  obtained  leave  of  Antiochus,  he  went  through 
Syria  and  Phoenicia  enlisting  soldiers.  When  he  came  to 
Ascalon,  the  people  met  him  with  great  presents  ;  whom 
he  invited,  as  he  had  done  the  other  cities  of  Cselo-Syria, 
to  relinquish  Demetrius,  and  join  Antiochus.  From 
thence  he  went  to  Gaza,  where,  contrary  to  his  expec- 
tation, they  shut  their  gates  against  him,  declaring  for 
Demetrius.  Upon  this  Jonathan  laid  siege  to  the  place, 
which,  the  more  easily  to  oblige  to  }  ield,  with  a  detach- 


124  'A  Complete  History  B.  C.  140. 

mtnt  he  ravaged  tJie  ne-ighbounng  towns  with  f  "e  and 
sword.  The  peo»)le  oi  Gaza  seeing  the  present  calamity, 
and,  by  reason  of  the  distiince,  despi-iiriiig  of  immediate 
reUef  from  Demetrius,  submitted  to  Jon.ithan;  who  tak- 
ing hostages  from  them  for  the  performance  of  the  condi- 
tions, sent  them  to  Jerusalem  ;  and  marching  forward, 
he  reduced  the  country  as  far  as  Damascus.  At  this  time 
Simon  took  the  city  of  Bethsura.  Demetrius  hoping  to 
put  a  stop  to  the  growing  greatness  of  Jonathan,  sent  an 
army  into  Judea,  which  Jonathan  engaged:  those  that 
fied  at  first,  facing  about,  routed  the  enemy,  and  re- 
turned victorious  to  Jerusalem.  Then  he  renewed  the 
alliance  with  the  Romiins  and  Lacedemonians;*  and 
being  informed  that  Demetrius's  generals  were  returned 
against  him  with  a  greater  army  than  the  former,  he  met 
him  in  the  country  of  the  Amathites;  but  the  enemy  in 
a  great  consternation  retired  by  night,  and  Jonathan 
made  excursions  into  the  country  of  the  Arabs-;  after 
which  his  brother  Simon  possessed  himself  of  Joppa, 
while  Jonatlian  repaired  the  wail  of  Jerusalem,  and  built 
a  fortress. 

Tryphon,  who  had  no  other  aim  than  his  own  interest, 
in  getting  young  iVntiochus  into  his  hands,  having  long 
waited  for  an  opportunity,  found  it  impracticable  to  put 
his  wicked  designs  in  execution  till  now.  For  Deme- 
trius  being  very  much  weakened  in  Syria,  and  his  af- 
fairs, by  a  late  defeat  iii  Parthia,  going  on  very  ill  in 
other  parts,  Tryphon  thinks  this  the  fortunate  moment 
to  declare  himself;  but  he  again  considered,  that  so  long- 
as  Jonathan  continued  in  the  young  king's  interest,  it 
would  be  to  no  purpose  to  declare  himself.     Wherefore 


^  Lacedemo:uar.s.  Much  doubt  tes  arisen  among  the  learned  respecting  the 
time  when  this  alliance  was  made.  Several  difRcuhies  occur  in  the  course  of  the 
narration  as  recorded,  1  Mace.  ch.  xii.  v.  10.  The  Areus  king  of  Lacedemon  there 
referred  to,  lived  in  the  time  of  Onias  the  fir^t  High-priest  of  that  name.  The 
Spartan  sovereign,  most  likely  from  some  old  or  fabulous  tradition,  states,  that  the 
Jews  and  Lacedemonians  vere  brethren,  and  had  both  descended  from  the  stock 
cf  Abraham. 


B.  C.  151.  of  the  Holy  Ihble,  125 

Tnphon  repaired  to  Bethsan,  (whicli  the  Cxreeks  call 
J>c)tIiopoiis)  where  Joi*athan  met  him  with  an  army  of 
ibrty  thousand  men.  Tiyphon,  findinn;  him  so  well  pre- 
j)ared,  saw  there  was  no  attacking  him  by  force,  and 
therefore  made  use  of  this  stratagem :  he  told  him,  that 
now  Demetrius  was  reduced  to  so  low  a  condition,  he 
was  no  longer  ab)e  to  give  them  any  trouble,  and 
there  was  no  occasion  for  keeping  up  an  army ;  advising 
him  to  dismiss  his,  and  reserving  only  three  thousand 
men,  to  send  two  of  them  to  Galilee,  and  keeping  the 
other  thousand  wiih  him,  to  go  and  take  possession  of 
Ptolemais,  which  he  Avould  deliver  up  to  him,  and  invest 
him  with  the  sole  command.  Jonathan  suspecting  no 
treachery,  did  as  Tryphon  advised,  and  attended  only 
with  a  thousand  men,  accompanied  him  to  Ptolemais  ; 
where  they  no  sooner  entered,  but  the  garrison  shut  the 
gates  upon  them,  seized  Jonathan,  and  put  his  men  to 
the  sword.  Tryphon  having  thus  treacherously  oA'er- 
reached  Jonathan,  dispatched  a-  party  of  foot  and  horse 
into  Galilee,  to  put  to  the  sword  all  that  were  of  Jona- 
than's party ;  not  doubting  of  an  easy  conquest,  now 
they  were  without  a  general.  But  he  soon  found  him- 
self mistaken  ;  for  Simon,  Jonathan's  brother,  was  soon 
invested  with  that  command,  and  prepared  to  receive 
them.  Upon  this,  Tryphon  marched  with  his  army  into 
Judca,  taking  Jonathan  with  him,  and  sent  to  Simon  for 
his  brother's  two  sons,  under  pretence  of  releasing  Jo* 
nathan^  Simon  readily  consented,  and,  to  incline  the 
traitor  the  more,  sent  a  hundred  talents  with  them.  But 
Tryphon  no  sooner  had  them  in  his  power,  than  he  jxit 
them  and  their  father  to  death ;  after  which  he  returned 
into  his  country,  v.here  he  murdered  king  Antiochus, 
and  possessed  himself  of  the  kingdom.  Simon  having 
recovered  his  brother's  body,  erected  a  stately  monu- 
ment of  marble  at  Modin,  wherein  he  inclosed  tiic  bones 
of  his  fathec  and  brethren. 

The  aft'airs  of  Judea  began  now  to  put  on  ,  a  m^re 
peaceful  asj)ect  than  they  had  hidicrto  done  ;  for  Simon 
ha\'ing  concluded  an  alliance  with  Demetrius,  entirel} 
delivered  his  nation  from  the  yoke  of  the  Gentiles ;  f.^r 


126  A  Complete  Histonj  B.  C.  130. 

in  the  first  year  of  his  pontificate  and  commiind,  he 
look  off  the  tiibute,  which  the  people  had  hitherto 
paid  to  the  Macedonians ;  and,  to  perpetuate  the  me- 
mory of  these  noble  acts  of  Simon,  it  was  decreed, 
that  all  private  instruments  and  public  records  should 
bear  date  from  sucli  a  year  of  Simon's  pontificate  and 
reign.  After  this,  he  took  the  cities  of  Gaza,  Joppa, 
and  Jamnia,  recovered  all  the  strong-holds,  and  had 
the  citadel  of  Jerusalem  surrendered  upon  terms.  Then 
wisely  considering  how  much  the  city  of  Jerusalem 
had  been  infested  by  the  citadel,  he  levelled  it  with 
the  ground,  that  it  might  no  longer  be  a  retreat  for 
sedition  and  faction.  And  to  prevent  its  being  rebuilt, 
he  levelled  the  hill  on  which  it  was  situated,  so  that  now 
no  eminence  appeared  but  that  of  the  temple  only. 

Simon  ha\'ins:  settled  the  affairs  of  his  country  in 
this  happy  condition,  Antiochus,  the  brother  of  De- 
metrius, being  restored  to  the  throne  of  Syria,  con- 
firmed Simon  in  the  sovereignty  over  all  Judea;"andhe 
in  return  sent  him  a  re-inforcement  of  men  to  make 
war  upon  the  usurper  Tryphon,  who  shut  himself 
up  in  Dora ;  but  finding  he  was  not  likely  to  hold  that 
place  long,  he  fied  to  Apamia,  where  he  met  with 
^vo^•se  fortune,  for  the  town  being  taken  by  storm,  he 
was  slain. 

Antiochus,  who  was  naturally  covetous,  and  for- 
getful of  the  benefits  he  had  received,  broke  the  treaty 
of  alliance  he  had  made  with  Simon,  requiring  him  to 
restore  Joppa,  Gazara,  and  other  places,  or  else  to  pay 
him  a  thousand  talents  of  silver.  Simon  refused  these 
co'ditions ;  upon  which  Antiochus  sent  an  army  under 
the  command  of  his  friend  Cendebeus,  to  reduce  Judea. 
Simon,  though  far  advanced  in  years,  with  a  juvenile 
courage  prepared  to  give  them  a  warm  reception;  and 
sending  his  sons  before  with  a  good  body  of  troops, 
tooK  a  compass  with  the  main  body  of  the  army,  plant- 
ing anibuscadcs  in  all  the  passes  of  the  country.  Things 
thus  regiilarly  dispensed.,  answered  his  expectation;  for 
as  soon  as  Judas  and  Kircanus,  Simon's  sons,  appeared, 


B.  C.  129.  of  the  Holy  Bible.  127 

Ccndcbcus's  army  tied,  and  ihe  Jews  pursuing  them,  cut 
oiFa  great  number. 

Alter  his  del'cat,  Simon  renewed  his  alliance  with 
the  Romans,  and  continued  in  peace.  But  in  the  eigiith 
year  ol  his  reign,  he  was  barbarously  murdered  by  the 
treachery  of  his  son-in-law  Ptolemy,  whom  tie  had  ap- 
pointed governor  of  the  plains  of  Jericho.  This  man; 
who  was  rich  and  ambitious,  aspiring  to  make  himself 
master  of  the  country,  laid  hold  of  the  opportunity, 
when  Simon  and  his  sons,  Mattathias  and  Judas,  were 
visiting  the  cities,  and  having  invited  them  to  an  en- 
tertciinment  in  a  fort  which  he  had  built,  he  treache- 
rously caused  them  to  be  murdered  :  and  intending  to 
make  sure  work  at  the  same  time,  he  sent  men  to  Ga- 
zara  to  kill  John  Hircanus,  Simon's  third  son,  and  at- 
tempted to  gain  the  army  and  city  of  Jerusalem  by 
corruption  :  but  Hircanus  having  received  the  news  of 
the  murder  of  his  father  and  brothers,  was  prepared  to 
receive  his  intended  murderers,  and  upon,  their  arrival 
at  Gazara  had  them  dispatched,  and  succeeded  his  father 
Simon  in  the  pontificate  and  general  command. 

In  the  first  year  of  his  reign,  Antiochus  Sidetes  (who 
is  also  called  Soter,  or  the  Saviour)  king  of  Syri;i,  in- 
vaded Judea  with  a  powerful  army  ;  and  ravaging  the 
countiy,  forced  Hircanus  into  Jerusalem,  where  he 
closelv  besieared  him.  Antiochus  used  all  the  force  and 
stratagem  he  was  master  of  to  reduce  the  place,  which 
he  could  not  have  done,  if  the  besieged  had  not  wanivd 
provisions,  which  obliged  Hircanus  to  treat  with  him, 
who  granted  the  Jews  the  liberty  of  living  according 
to  their  own  laws  and  relisfion,  on  condition  thev 
should  lav  dow^n  their  arms,  and  restore  tlie  tribute  of 
Joppa,  and  all  the  cities  without  Jadea,  and  pay  him 
besides  five  hundred  talents  ;  three  hundred  down,  and 
hostages  for  the  payment  of  the 'other  two.  This  treaty 
being  concluded,  Antiochus  entered  Jerusalem,  where 
Hircanus  received  him  with  much  [)omp  and  splendor, 
and  afterwards  sent  some  troops  with  him  to  the  Par- 
thian war ;  where  Antiochus  being  overcome  and  skiin 
by  x\rsaces,  king  of  Parthia,.  his  brother  Demetrius,  who 


128 


Complete  Ilisfot'^ 


u 


B.  C.  126v^" 


had  been  long  a  prisoner  in  Parthia,  being  set  at  liberty, 
•was  advanced  to  the  throne  of  Syria. 

The  Jews,  who  by  Antiochus  were  become  tributaries 
to   the  kings  of   Syrici,   did  not   long   continue  so  ;    for 
upon  the  death  of  Antiochus,    Hircanus  not  only  shook 
oiF  the  Syrian  yoke,  but  carried  the  war  into  that  coun- 
try, the  cities  and  towns   of  which   he    knew  must  be 
very    much     unprovided    of    garrisons,    by     the     great 
draughts  of  men   the  kings  of  Syria  had  made  for  the?r 
foreign  expeditions.     Nor   was  he    mistaken  in  his  con- 
jecture, for  he  with  ease  subdued  the  cities  of  Methaba  ; 
Samga,  Sichem,  and  Gerizim,  and  destroyed  the  temple 
of  the  Samaritans,   which  Sanbailat,    by  the  permission  of 
Alexander  the  great,  had  built  in  flivour  of  his  son-in- 
law,  Manasseh.     He   likewise   took    Ador  and  Marissa. 
cities  of  Idumea,   and  obliged  the  people  to  be  circum- 
cised or  leave  the  country  :  which  rather  than  do,  they 
not  only  submitted  to  be  circumcised,  but   received   all 
the  other  Je\*ish  rites.    After  this,  he  renewed  the  alliance 
with   the   Romans,    with    much    greater  advantages  than 
before.     He   opened    David's   tomb,    took    from   thence 
three  thousand   talents,  and   was  the    first    native  gover- 
nor of  the  Jews  that   entertained   foreigners   \h  his   pay. 
In  fine,   he  governed  the  Jews    in  peace  nine  and  twenty 
years,   and   left  the   High-priesthood   and  sovereignty   to 
his  son  Judas  Aristobulus,  who   was  the  first  that  took 
upon  him,    in  a  formal   manner,  the  title  of    king,*  by 


*  King.  Aristobulus,  son  of  John  Hircanus,  grandson  of  Simon,  and  great 
grandson  of  Mattathias,  the  zealous  assertorof  the  law  of  God  against  the  tyrant 
and  oppressor  Antiochus,  was  the  first  of  the  family  of  the  Asmoneans  or  Macca- 
bees who  took  upon  him  the  title  of  king.  The  name  Maccabees  was  derived 
from  tlie' heroic  Judas,  eldest  son  of  Mattathias,  he  having  assumed  for  his  motto 
en  the  Jewish  standards  tlie  Hebrew  sentence,  Exod.  ch.  Jcv.  IT,  nin^  oSkS 
niKl^-^n.  T!^i  Camo-ka  Baelim  Jehovah  ?  "Who  is  like  unto  thee  among 
the  gods,  O,  Jehovah  ?"  An  abbreviation  of  the  initial  letters  of  these  Hebrew 
words  made  up  the  word  Maccahi,  and  all  who  from  that  time  fought  under  their 
sfaridards  were  called  Maccabees,  though  in  later  times  it  had  become  appropriated 
ro  the  royal  family  only. 


B.  C.  125.  of  the  Holy  Bible.  129 

j)utting  a  diadem  on  his  head.  He  was  a  prince  of  a 
bloody  disposition,  for  he  imprisoned  his  brethren,  ex- 
cept Antigonus,  for  whom  he  seemed  to  have  a  pecu- 
liar esteem  and  affection,  and  associated  him  in  the 
throne.  Having  a  jealousy  that  his  mother  was  a  se- 
cret rival  of  his  power,  he  confined  her  to  prison,  where 
she  was  fomished.  At  last  he  began  to  cool  in  his  af- 
fection to  his  beloved  brother  and  favourite  Antigonus, 
which  was  aggravated  very  much  by  an  imforlunate 
occasion ;  for  Antigonus,  returning  in  triumph  from 
the  wars,  at  a  time  when  the  people  were  celebrating 
tlie  feast  of  tabernacles,  his  brother  Aristobulus  being 
then  sick,  he  went  into  the  temple  splendidly  dressed, 
and  well  attended,  to  sacrifice  for  his  success,  and  the 
good  health  of  the  king  his  brother.  Some,  who  wished 
to  promote  a  misimderstanding  between  the  brothers, 
from  hence  took  occasion  to  acquaint  the  king  with 
Antigonus's  cavalcade  in  the  most  aggravating  circum- 
stances, urging,  that  he  did  not  appear  in  the  condition 
of  a  private  man,  but  like  one  that  affected  a  crown. 
Though  Aristobulus  did  not  at  first  believe  these  sto- 
ries, yet,  considering  the  possibility  of  them,  to  avoid 
suspicion,  and  consult  his  own  snfety,  he  commanded 
his  guards  to  conceal  themselves  in  an  obscure  corner, 
and  if  his  brother  passed  by  without  arms,  to  let  him 
go  quietly ;  but  if  he  came  armed,  then  to  kill  him ; 
sending  word  privately  at  the  same  time  to  his  brother, 
not  to  come  armed  into  his  presence.  On  the  other 
hand,  the  queen,  who  had  done  all  the  ill  offices  she 
could  in  creating  and  fomenting  jealousies  between  the 
brothers,  persuaded  the  messenger  which  Aristobulus 
sent  to  Antigonus,  to  tell  him,  that  the  king  had  a 
mind  to  see  him  armed.  Antigonus  suspecting  no  mis- 
chief, was  coming  armed  to  the  king,  but  at  Straton's 
tower  he  was  murdered.  This,  and  the  other  unnatural 
murders  of  his  mother  and  brethren,  so  aftlcted  his 
conscience,  that  he  died  of  grief,  having  reigned  only 
one  year.  He  added  Iturea  to  his  dominions,  and  com- 
pelled  the  people  to  submit  to  circumcision,  and  other 
Jewish  rites. 

Vol.  H.  R 


130  J  Complete  Ms  tort/  B.  C.  102, 

Aristobulus  being  dead,  his  Avife  Salome  put  the 
sceptre  into  the  hands  of  his  eldest  brother,  Alex- 
ander Jannecas.  This  prince  had  been  passed  by  in 
the  succession,  not  on  account  of  any  fault  or  defect  in 
him,  but  because  his  father  loved  his  other  two  bro- 
thers better.  Being  on  the  throne,  he  began  to  cast  a 
watchful  eve  about  him  ;  and  findinsj  one  of  his  bro~ 
thers  endeavouring  to  dethrone  him,  he  dispatched  him 
^  out   of  the    way ;    but    permitted   the    other,    who     was 

^  contented    with   a   private   life,   to  live  quietly,,   and  en- 

joy his  favour.  He  marched  with  an  army  to  reduce 
Ptoiemais,  and  having  driven  the  enemy  within  their 
■walls,  he  laid  close  siege  to  the  place.  This  city  and 
Gaza,  besides  the  tower  of  Straton,  and  the  fortress  of 
Dora,  which  Zoilus  possessed,  were  the  only  places  on 
the  coast,  that  were  not  under  his  dominion.  They 
therefore,  considering  that  if  Ptolemais,  were  reduced, 
themselves  should  not  be  able  long  to  oppose  him,  sent 
to  Ptolemy  Lathy rus,  the  banished  king  of  Egy])t, 
then  at  Cyprus,  to  come  and  help  them,  assuring  him, 
thai  upon  his  arrival,  Zoilus,  the  people  of  Gaza,  Ptole- 
mais, and  Sidon  would  join  him.  Ptolemy  puffed  up 
with  great  expectation  from  these  promises,  prepared 
for  Syria,  against  the  opinion  of  his  friends,  who  dis- 
suaded him  from  this  expedition,  by  urging,  that  his 
enemies,  particularly  his  mother  Cleopatra,  would  take 
all  advantages  against  him,  and  perhaps  take  Cyprus 
from  him.  But  he  was  deaf  to  their  arguments,  and 
hastened  to  Syria  ;  w  here,  not\^'ithstanding  on  his  way 
he  heard  of  the  taking  Ptolemais,  he  continued  his 
march  >\ith  an  army  of  thirty  thousand  foot  and  horse. 
Encamping  near  Ptolemais,  he  sent  messengers  to  the 
town,  who  were  not  admitted,  nor  could  he  obtain  any 
answer  from  thence.  This  gave  him  great  perplexity ; 
but  Zoilus  and  the  Gazcans  joining  him,  they  began  to 
ravage  the  country. 

Alexander  returning  home,  began  to  contrive  ho^v 
to  gain  his  point  by  policy,  which  he  could  not  effect 
by  force.  First,  he  privately  invited  Cleopatra  to  his 
interest,  at  the   same   time  openly  professing  himself  a 


B.C.    102.  of  the  Ilohj  Bible.  131 

friend  to  Ptolemy,  whom  lie  called  his  friend  and  con- 
federate, und  promised  him  four  luiiidred  taleiilb  of 
silver,  if  he  would  deliver  up  ZoiUis,  and  add  his  do- 
minion to  that  of  the  Jews.  Ptolemy,  like  an  easy 
prince,  swallowed  the  bait,  and  seizes  Zoilus;  but 
linding  himself  imposed  on  by  Alexander,  and  disco- 
vering the  intrigue:  between  him  and  l)is  mother  Cle- 
opatra, he  broke  off  from  him,  and  marched  with  his 
army  to  besiege  Ptolemais.  The  place  holding  out 
against  him,  he  blocked  it  up  ;  and  with  part  of  lus 
army  ravaged  the  country.  Upon  this,  Alexander  with 
an  army  of  fifty  (some  say  eighty)  thousand  men,  march- 
ed to  oppose  him ;  but  before  he  could  come  near  him, 
Ptolemy  taking  the  advantage  of  the  sabbath,  surprised 
Azochim,  a  town  of  Galike,  and  carried  off  ten  thousand 
prisoners,  besides  much  plunder.  Then  going  on  to 
meet  Alexander,  the  two  armies  engaged  near  the  river 
Jordan,  where  Alexander's  army  was  routed,  and  thirty 
thousand  slain  on  the  spot.  Ptolemy  made  no  other  use 
of  this  victory,  but  to  shew  his  cruelty,  which  he  express- 
ed in  that  barbarous  instance  of  massacring  the  women 
and  children,  and  causing  their  flesh  to  be  boiled  in  caul- 
drons,, to  make  the  Jews  believe  that  his  armv  lived  on 
liuman  flesh.  This  he  did  to  strike  the  greater  terror  into 
his  enemies. 

His  mother  Cleopatra  thought  it  now  time  to  cheek 
her  son's  growing  greatness;  setting  out  therefore  from 
Egypt  with  a  powerful  land  and  naval  force,  she  landed 
in  Phoenicia,  was  well  received  by  the  inhabitants,  and 
laid  siege  to  Ptolemais.  In  the  mean  time  Ptolemy  be- 
lieving it  would  be  easy  for  him  to  recover  Egypt  in  the 
absence  of  his  mother  and  her  army,  left  Syria  to  repair 
tliither ;  but  not  succeeding,  he  was  obliged  to  pass  the 
winter  at  Gaza. 

Cleopatra  having  taken  Ptolemais,  Alexander  Jan- 
nceus  met  her  there  with  great  presents,  and  was  ho- 
nourably recei\'ed  by  her,  as  a  distressed  prince  that 
fled  to  her  for  refuge.  Alexander  being  thus  in  Cleo- 
patra's power,  it  was  debated,  whether  it  would  not  be 
more  expedient  to  seize  his  dominions,  than  to  periiut 


132  A  Complete  History  B.  C.  99. 

so  dangerous  and  wealthy  a  neighbour  to  enjoy  them. 
The  gerterous  Ananias,  commander  of"  Cleopatra's  forces, 
opposed  this  inhospitable  proposal,  declaring  it  a  scanda- 
lous and  dishonourable  act,  to  abuse  a  prince  and  kinsman 
of  the  queen,  who  fled  to  her  for  protection.  In  fine, 
Cleopatra  generously  concluded  an  alliance  with  Alexan- 
der ;  after  which,  he  took  Gaza  and  other  places  ;  but 
forgetting  his  own  late  distress,  he  used  the  inhabitants 
with  great  cruelty,  generally  putting  them  to  the  sword. 
HLs  cruelty  likewise  extended  to  his  own  countrymen, 
who  during  his  absence  had  occasioned  great  mutinies ; 
these  he  put  to  death,  to  the  number  of  fifty  tliousand  ; 
which  so  exasperated  the  rest  that  they  called  in  De- 
metrius Euceres,  king  of  Damascus,  to  their  assistance, 
who  cut  in  pieces  all  Alexander's  soldiers  that  were 
strangers. 

Alexander  thus  deprived  of  his  mercenaries,  was 
obliged  to  ily  to  the  mountains,  where  six  thousand  Jews, 
pitying  his  misfortune,  joined  him.  With  this  reinforce- 
ment he  retrieved  his  affairs,  subdued  the  rebels,  and  re- 
turned to  Jerusalem;  where  he  glutted  his  revengeful 
eyes  with  the  most  horrid  scene  of  cruelty  that  ever  was 
acted  by  man :  for  regaling  himself  at  a  banquet  in  a  very 
elevated  part  of  the  palace,  where  there  was  an  oj)en 
prospect  every  way,  he  ordered  eight  hundred  men  that 
had  been  his  enemies  to  be  fixed  to  crosses,  and  their 
wives  and  children  to  be  massacred  before  their  faces. 
This  abominable  cruelty  procured  him  the  name  of  Alex- 
ander Thracidcs.*"  The  rest  of  the  rebels,  to  the  number 
of  eight  thousand,  fearing  the  same  fate,  by  night  with- 
drew from  Jerusalem,  and  during  Alexander's  reign  lived 
in  exile. 

The  civil  wars  being  thus  concluded,  Alexander  at- 
tacked his  neighbours,  took  several  towns,  and  very 
much  enlarged   his  dominions.      Then  returning   from 


*  Thracides.  In  allusion  to  the  Thracians,  a  Tartar  nation  inhabiting  the 
co\mtries  about  Cimmerian  Bosphorous,  and  considered  in  thbse  early  ages  as 
the  most  barbarous  of  mankind.  Frideaux, 


B.  C.  74.  of  the  Ifohj  Bible.  153^ 

this  cxiK'ditlon,  wliich  took  up  about  three  years,  he 
was  well  received  bv  his  people;  but  enjoyed  not  that 
felicity  long,  ibr  falling  sick  of  a  debauch,  he  laboured 
under  a  quartan  ague  three  years  ;  w hich,  ho^ve^er,  did 
iiot  much  obstruct  his  military  undertakings.  At  last, 
quite  exhausted,  he  was  forced  to  submit  to  fate  at  the 
siege  of  Ragaba,  on  the  other  side  the  Jordan.  A  little 
before  his  death,  he  ordered  his  wife  Alexandra,  whom 
he  left  regent,  to  conceal  his  death  for  some  time  from 
the  army,  that  it  might  not  hinder  the  siege ;  and  that 
when  she  had  taken  t!ie  place,  she  should  return  in  tri- 
umph to  Jerusalem.  'J'he  chief  thing  he  advised  lier  to 
do  when  there,  was  to  court  the  pharisees,  a  very  power- 
ful sect  ainong  the  Jews,  and  who  could  by  their  interest 
advance  or  depress  whom  they  pleased.  Then  advising 
her  to  summon  the  chief  of  the  people,  and  bid  her  shew 
them  his  dead  body,  and  offer  it  to  them  to  do  v.  hat  they 
pleased  with  it,  either  out  of  honour  or  revenge  ;  and  to 
assure  them  she  would  do  nothing  in  the  administration 
without  their  advice  and  consent. 

Alexandra,  after  the  reduction  of  Ragaba,  returned  to- 
Jerusalem,  and  punctually  observed  the  directions  of  her 
dying  husband,  which  succeeded  to  her  wish  ;  for  all  pi- 
tied the  widowed  queen,  and  deplored  the  loss  of  their 
king,  whose  funeral  they  honoured  with  more  than  usual 
pomp  and  solemnity. 

Alexander  left  behind  him  two  sons,  Hircanus  and 
Aristobulus  ;  but  his  wife  Alexandra  procured  to  have 
herself  declared  queen,  made  Hircanus  High -priest,  and 
left  Aristobulus  to  lead  a  private  life.  The  name  of  the 
government  was  indeed  invested  in  the  queen  regent, 
but  the  administration  was  entirely  in  the  power  of  the 
])hari,sees,  w  ho  lorded  it  with  great  insolei^ice  over  those 
against  whom  they  had  any  malice,  till  at  last  they  began 
tu  draw  blood,  which  roused  the  active  genins  of  Aristo- 
liulus,  who  being  supported  by  several  persons  of  con- 
dition and  figure  among  the  Jews,  complained  publicly 
of  the  abuses  of  government,  and  threatened  to  call  the 
phaiisees  to  account.  But  notwithstanding  these  cla- 
mours, the  queen  persisted  in  her  confidence  of  the  pha- 


134  J  Co7nplete  Histary  B,  C.  65.- 

risees,  putting  into  their  hands  all  the  places  of  strength  in 
her  dominions,  except  the  strong  castles  of  Hircania, 
Alexandrion,  and  Macheruns,  where  she  had  secured  her 
greatest  treasure. 

About  this  time,  news  Avas  brought,  that  Tigranes, 
king  of  Armenia,  had  invaded  Syria  with  an  army  of  five 
hundred  thousand  men,  and  that  he  would  soon  be  in  Ju- 
dea.  This  informdiion  exceedingly  alarmed  the  queen 
and  all  the  Jews  ;  therefore  they  immediately  dispatched 
ambassadors  with  presents  of  great  value  to  court  his 
friendship,  and  divert  him  from  his  design  of  attacking 
tliem.  They  found  Tigranes  laying  close  siege  to  Ptole- 
mais,  where  he  received  them  kindly,  commended  their 
forwardness  in  applying  to  him,  and  assured  them  of  his 
good  inclinations.  Ptolemais  being  taken,  Tigranes  was 
informed,  that  LucuUus,  the  Roman  general,  in  his  pur- 
suit of  Mithridates,  had  entered  into  Armenia,  putting 
the  country  under  mihtary  execution.  Upon  this,  Ti- 
granes was  obliged  to  return  to  defend  his  own  country, 
which  relieved  the  Jews  from  their  painful  apprehensions 
*^  <?f  an  invasion  from  that  quarter. 

Toward  the  end  of  this  queen's  reign,  Aristobulus, 
took  the  advantage  of  her  sickness,  and  of  the  insufficien- 
cy of  his  brother  Hircanus  to  govern,  seized  several  strong- 
holds, and  prepared  to  have  himself  declared  king  after 
her  death  ;  which  soon  happened,  in  the  ninth  year  of  her 
reign,  and  the  seventy-third  of  l^r  age.  Alexandra  be- 
ing dead,  Aristobulus  declared  war  against  his  brother 
Hircanus,  and  in  the  plains  of  Jericho  they  prepared  to  en- 
gage ;  when  Hircanus's  soldiers  revolting  to  Aristobulus, 
Hircanus  betook  himself  to  a  castle  for  safety.  Upon  this 
they  came  to  a  treat}',  and  it  was  agreed  that  Aristobulus 
should  be  king,  and  Hircanus  be  suffered  to  live  quietly 
in  tlie  enjoyment  of  his  own  private  fortune.  This  treaty 
was  confirmed  by  public  sanction  and  mutual  embraces  be- 
tween the  two  brothers,  in  a  great  concourse  of  people  in 
the  temple- 
Though  Hircanus  was  of  a  quiet  disposition,  and  af- 
fected a  retired  life ;  yet  there  were  not  wanting  those 
of  a  more  turbulent  spirit  to  rouse  hisslodiful  genius,  with 


B.  C.  62.  efthe  Holy  Bible,  135. 

hopes  of  recovering  his  right.  Amongst  these,  Anti- 
pater*  was  the  most  for\vi»rd  ;  he  was  naturally  very 
factious,  and  an  enemy  to  Aristobulus  ;  ynd  being  go- 
vernor of  Idumea,  was  very  powerful  and  wealthy,  by 
which  means  he  had  AraJDs,  Gazeans,  and  Ascolonites  al- 
ways at  his  devotion.  He  persuaded  Hircanus  to  go  to 
Arctas,  king  of  Arabia,  and  desire  succours  of  him  ; 
which  he  obtained,  upon  promise,  that  Hircinus  should 
restore  to  him  the  towns  which  Alexander  his  father  had 
taken.  This  was  agreed  to,  and  Hircanus,  returning 
with  those  auxiliaries,  was  soon  reinforced  by  the  Jews, 
^v•ho  came  to  join  him.  Aristobulus  seeing  himself  over- 
matched, durst  not  venture  a  battle,  but  retired  to  Je- 
rusalem ;  whither  Hircanus  followed  and  besieged  him  : 
but  Scaurus,  Pompey's  lieutenant  in  Syria,  being  gained 
to  the  interest  of  Aristobulus,  commanded  king  Aretas 
to  draw  off,  on  pain  of  being  declared  an  enemy  to  the 
people  of  Rome,  The  king  durst  not  disobey,  but  raised 
the  siege;  which  Aristobulus  perceiving,  fell  upon  his 
rear  in  the  retreat,  and  cut  ofi' about  seven  thousand  of  his 
men. 

Not  long  after,  Pompey  came  into  Syria,  and  took  up 
his  residence  at  Damascus,  where  he  was  attended  by 
ambassadors  from  Syria,  Egypt  and  Judea,  all  laden  with 
presents  of  prodigious  value.  Nor  were  Hircanus  and 
Aribtobulus  wanting  on  their  part,  each  of  them  sending 
his  deputy  :  Antipater  appearing  for  the  first,  and  Nico- 
demus  for  the  latter.  Pompey  gave  them  a  patient  hear- 
ing, who  declared  against  the  government  of  kings,  it 
being  the  native  custom  and  right  of  the    Jews  to  be  un- 


*  Antipater.  This  is  the  first  mention  we  have  in  history  of  Antipater,  father 
of  Herod  the  Great,  and  the  rest  of  that  family  who  reigned  kings  of  Judah  until 
the  final  destruction  of  the  Jewish  state  and  monarchy  by  the  Romans.  The  Jews 
who  hated  his  son  Herod  represented  Antipater  as  having  been  an  Idumean  slave, 
but  Josephus  who  had  good  opportuuities  of  knowing  the  truth,  asserts,  that  he 
was  of  a  noble  family,  and  of  the  Jewish  religion  by  profession.  Herod's  flat- 
terers derivjed  the  descent  of  his  ancestors  frojn  a  branch  of  the  house  of  David- 


136  A  Complete  History  B.  €.  60; 

der  no  other  aSniinistration,  but  that  of  the  priests  of 
their  God.  Hircanus  complained  of  the  injustice  done 
him,  who  being  the  elder  brother,  was  deprived  of  the 
prerogative  and  primogeniture  by  Aristobulus  :  who  had 
confined  him  to  a  scanty  portion,  below  the  dignity  of 
his  birth,  his  brother  having  usurped  the  rest ;  adding  be- 
sides, th:it  he  Was  a  dangerous  enemy  to  the  neighbour- 
ing nations,  whom  lie  frequently  infested  with  incur- 
sions and  plunderings,  entertaining  pirates  in  his  service 
at  sea,  and  if  care  was  not  taken,  might  in  time  cause  a 
revolt  of  the  nation.  All  these  articles  were  attested  by 
a  thousand  Jews  whom  Antipater  had  for  that  purpose 
prepared.  Aristobulus,  in  defence  of  himself,  urged, 
that  his  brother  was  dismissed  from  the  government  for 
his  unfitness  to  reign,  by  which  he  became  so  contemp- 
tible among  the  people,  that  himself  was  obliged  to  take 
the  administration  upon  him,  to  preserve  the  right  in 
their  family.  This  he  attested  by  a  number  of  loose  and 
debauched  persons.  Pompcy  having  heard  both  sides, 
referred  the  determination  of  the  controversy  till  his 
coming  into  Judea,  ordering  them  in  the  mean  time  to  live 
quietly. 

Aristobulus,  perceiving  that  Pompey  did  not  approve 
of  his  violent  proceedings,  hastened  back  to  Judea,  and 
shut  himself  up  in  the  strong  fortress  of  Alexandrion  : 
at  v.hich  Pompey  was  so  offended,  that  taking  the  army 
which  he  intended  against  the  Nabatheans,  and  some 
auxiliary  troops  of  Syria,  he  marched  against  Aristobulus. 
Pompey  sent  a  summons  to  Aristobulus  to  appear  before 
him  ;  which  he  reluctantly  did,  but  was  persuaded  by  his 
friends  to  take  care  how  he  made  the  Piomans  his  ene- 
mies. Upon  his  submission,  he  was  received,  and  Pom- 
pey placed  a  guard  over  him ;  but  sending  Gabinius  to 
Jerusalem  to  receive  the  money  which  Aristobulus  pro- 
mised, the  Jews  of  Aristobulus's  faction  shut  the  gates 
against  him,  though  (heir  chief  was  in  Pompey's  custody. 
This  obstinacy  so  olilnded  Pompey,  that  doubling  the 
guard  over  Aristobulus,  he  went  in  person  to  Jerusalem  ; 
ivliere  there  was  a  great  division  among  the  inhabitants, 
.Avho  were  very  irresolute  what  measures  to  take  ;  some 


B.  C.  60.  of  the  Holy  Bible,  137 

.beini^'  of  opinion  to  deliver  up  the  city  to  Pompey  :  but 
Aristobulus's  faction  were  for  shutting  him  out,  and  pre- 
paring for  war,  because  he  kept  their  chief  prisoner.  This 
party  prevailed,  and  seized  the  temple,  cutting  down  the 
bridge  that  led  to  the  city.  Tlie  rest  admitted  Pompey's 
army,  and  delivered  up  the  city  to  him ;  upon  which  he 
prepared  to  besiege  the  temple. 

The  faction  made  an  obstinate  defence  for  three 
months,  at  the  end  of  which  the  Romans  entered  the 
temple.  During  the  siege,  and  the  taking  the  temple, 
twelve  thousand  Jews  were  slain.  Pompey  entered  the 
temple  with  several  persons,  who  saw  the  inner  part  of 
the  sanctuary,  which  was  forbidden  by  the  law  to  all  but 
the  priests.  Pompey  was  so  charmed  with  the  beauty 
and  sanctity  of  the  place,  that  he  offered  no  profane 
violence  to  the  table,  candlestick,  vessels,  or  sacred  trea- 
sure, which  were  valued  at  about  two  thousand  talents. 
The  next  day  he  ordered  the  temple  to  be  cleansed,  and 
offered  sacrifice.  Then  he  restored  the  jHigh  priesthood 
and  sovereignty  to  Hircanus,  but  forbade  bim  to  take 
upon  him  the  title  of  king.  After  this,  he  made  the  Jews 
tributary  to  Rome,  taking  from  them  all  their  conquests, 
and  putting  them  under  proper  governors,  he  left  the 
government  of  Syria  to  Scaurus,  and  carried  away  with 
liim  to  Rome,  Aristobulus,  with  his  two  sons  and  two 
daughters.  Alexander,  one  of  the  sons,  found  means  to 
escape  by  the  way  ;  the  other,  called  Antigonus,  was 
carried  to  Rome,  with  his  father  and  sisters.  Thus  the 
dissention*  between  the  two  brothers,  Hircanus  and  Aris- 
tobulus, was  the  cause  of  the  Jews'  loss  of  sovereignty  and 
liberty,  which  the  Romans  never  before  of  themselves  at- 
tempted :  and  besides  the  loss  of  the  towns  they  had  con- 
quered in  Syria,  the  Romans  in  a  short  time  exacted  from 
them  above  ten  thousand  talents. 


•  Dinsention.  The  unnatural  dissention  in  the  Asmonean  family,  joined  to  the 
degraded  state  of  religion  among  the  Jews,  and  the  violent  disputes  between  the 
Pharisees  and  Sadducees  first  made  way  for  the  interference  of  the  Romans  ;  the 
elevation  of  the  Herodian  family ;  and  finally,  for  the  downfall  of  the  nation. 

Vol.  II.  S 


138  ^Hf      a  Complete  I/is  tort/  B.  C.  57. 

Alexander,  who  had  made  his  escape  from  Pompey, 
after  three  years  returned  into  Judea,  gathered  forces, 
and  possessed  himself  of  several  places;  but  Gabinius, 
who  succeeded  Scaurus  in  the  government  of  Syria,  com- 
ing into  Judea,  pursued  him.  Upon  which,  Alexander 
retreating  towards  Jerusalem  in  hopes  of  some  succours 
from  thence,  Gabinius  engaged  him,  and  slew  about 
thirty  thousand  of  his  men,  taking  as  many  prisoners. 
Alexander  thus  routed,  fled  into  the  castle  of  Alexan- 
drion,  vvhither  Gabinius  pursued  and  besieged  him  ;  who 
seeing  no  hopes  of  succour,  surrendered,  together  with 
the  other  strong  fortresses,  Hircania  and  Macheruns  ;  all 
which  Gabinius  demolished.  Gabinius  returns  to  Jerusa- 
lem, takes  Hircanus  with  him,  and  committed  the  care  of 
the  temple  to  him,  confirming  him  likewise  in  the 
priesthood;  but  for  the  civil  government,  he  put  it  into  the 
hands  of  magistrates  of  his  own  choosing;  and  having  di- 
vided the  province  into  five  partSj  he  appointed  a  court  of 
justice  over  each  of  them. 

By  this  time  Aristobolus  had  been  five  years  a  prisonei' 
at  Rome  ;  from  whence,  with  his  son  Antigonus,  he 
made  his  escape,  and  returned  into  Judea;  where,  raising 
forces,  he  would  have  fortified  the  castle  of  Alexandrion, 
but  Gabinius  prevented  him.  Afterwards  he  attempted 
the  same  at  Macheruns,  pretending  to  cover  them  with 
eight  thousand  men ;  but  the  Romans  following  them, 
at  the  first  charge  broke  and  routed  them,  and  killed 
above  five  thousand.  Aristobulus,  with  about  a  thousand 
men,  threw  himself  into  Macheruns,  which  he  fortified 
as  well  as  the  time  and  his  condition  would  permit  ;  but 
could  not  hold  out  above  two  days  ;  for  being  very  much 
wounded  in  the  last  storming  of  the  place,  he,  with  his  son 
Antij^onus,  W'as  taken  prisoner,  and  both  of  them  were  sent 
prisoners  again  to  Rome  ;  where,  by  order  of  the  senate, 
the  father  was  kept  in  prison,  and  his  children  sent  back 
to  Judea. 

Alexander  made  some  efforts  towards  recovering  the 
sovereignty,  and  collected  an  army  of  thirty  thousand 
Jews,  with  which  he  attacked  Gabinius,  but  was  routed  : 
SO  that  liircaniiSj  who  was  still  continued  in  the  High 


B .  C.  50.  of  the  Holy  Bible.  139 

priesthood,  had  only  the  title  of  prince,  without  the  au- 
thoritv,  the  Romans  being  sovereigns,  and  Antipatcr 
having  the  greatest  share  in  the  government.  And  now 
Jiidea,  thus  become  a  prey  to  the  avarice  of  the  Roman 
governors,  every  general,  whose  commission  led  him 
that  way,  plundered  the  poor  Jews  of  what  he  could 
grasp.  Among  these,  the  insatiable  M.  Crassus  march- 
ing against  the  Parthians,  came  into  Judea,  and  extorted 
two  thousand  talents ;  which  Jlleazar,  who  was  treasurer 
of  the  temple,  seeing,  to  preserve  the  sacred  ornaments 
from  his  rapacious  claws,  made  him  a  present  of  a  golden 
obelisk,  that  weighed  three  huudred  pounds,  obliging 
him  upon  oath,  not  to  remove  any  thing  else  from  thence. 
But  Crassus  violating  his  oath,  took  all  the  gold  he  could 
find.  After  his  death,  Cassias  fell  upon  Judea,  took 
Tarichea,  and  carried  away  near  thirty  thousand  Jews. 

The  Roman  affairs  falling  into  distraction  by  the  dif- 
ferences between  Caesar  and  Pompey,  Caesar  setting 
Aristobulus  at  liberty,  sent  him  with  two  legions  into 
Judea,  to  combat  with  one  of  Pompey's  there  ;  but  Pom- 
pey's  faction  procured  him  to  be  poisoned.  His  body 
was  by  the  order  of  Caesar  preserved,  till  M.  Antony 
caused  it  to  be  carried  to  Judea,  where  it  was  honourably 
interred  in  the  royal  sepulchre.  Soon  after,  Scipio,  by 
order  from  Pompey,  caused  his  son  Alexander's  head  to 
be  struck  off  at  Antioch,  for  his  former  rebellion  against 
the  Romans. 

Caesar  returning  victorious  from  Egypt,  made  some 
stay  in  Syria,  where  Antigonus,  Aristobulus's  second  son, 
met  him,  and  complained  of  the  hard  fate  of  his  father 
and  brother,  charging  Hircanus  and  Antipater  with  hav- 
ing possessed  themselves  of  the  government  by  force. 
But  Antipater  so  well  pleaded  his  own  cause,  that  Cae-.ar, 
instead  of  restoring  Antigonus,  continued  Hircanus 
High-priest,  and  gave  Antipater  the  government  of 
Judea. 

When  Caesar  was  gone,  Antipater,  by  his  prudence, 
appeased  all  the  troubles  in  Judea.  This  Antipater  had 
two  sons,  Phasael  and  Herod;  to  the  first  he  gave  the 
government  of  the  country  about  Jerusalem,  and  to  the 


140  >/i  Complete  History  B.  C.  45. 

second  that  of  Galilee.  Phasael  behaved  himself  in  his 
administration  with  great  lenity  ;  but  Herod's  boisterous 
and  tyrannical  carriage  made  him  very  odious  to  the 
Jews.  Antipater  their  father  being  willing  to  keep  fair 
with  the  Romans,  that  he  might  the  longer  continue  in 
his  government  of  Judea,  made  Hircanus  a  very  useful 
instrument  in  the  support  of  his  power  ;  for  taking  ad- 
vantage of  his  easiness,  he  persuaded  him  to  disburse  the 
public  treasure  to  the  Roman  generals.  But  this  grovving 
greatness  of  Antipater  and  his  sons  soon  became  offensive 
o  the  Jews  ;  the  chief  of  whom  openly  complained  to 
Hircanus  of  several  acts  of  a  violent  atid  exhorbitant  na- 
ture committed  by  them,  particularly  of  the  cruelty  of 
Herod  to  Ezekiah  and  his  companions,  whom  Herod  had 
caused  to  be  slain,  for  making  an  incursion  into  Syria  ; 
threatening  Hircanus  at  the  same  time,  if  he  did  not  do 
justice  upon  Herod.  Antipater  hearing  this,  advised  his 
son  Herod  to  appear  at  Jerusalem  to  make  his  defence, 
but  cautioned  him  to  come  with  a  good  guard.  But  that 
■which  was  Herod's  greatest  security,  was  the  friendship 
of  Sextus  Caesar  the  president  of  Syria,  who  wrote  to 
Hircanus  to  be  tender  of  Herod,  and  threatened  him  if 
he  did  otherwise.  Herod  accordingly  appeared  guarded 
before  Hircanus,  which  so  terrified  his  accusers,  that  none 
of  them  durst  make  good  their  charge.  But  Sameas,  one 
of  the  council,  a  man  of  great  justice  and  integrity,  with 
much  assurance  and  presence  of  mind  complained,  that 
he  never  saw  a  criminal  appear  in  a  court  of  justice  so 
attended  ;  who  came  more  like  an  invader,  than  one  to 
take  a  trial  for  the  breach  of  justice.  "  But,  he  observed, 
*'  this  is  not  so  much  to  be  imputed  to  his  insolence,  as 
*'  to  your  connivance,  which  encourages  it.  Yet,  know, 
**  continued  Sameas,  that  this  person  whom  you  screen 
*'  from  the  justice  of  the  laws,  will  one  day  >!)e  a  scourge 
*'  to  you  all."  Nor  was  he  a  false  prophet  in  this  ;  for 
when  Herod  obtained  the  kingdom,  he  was  revenged  on 
them,  particularly  on  those  that  were  his  judges. 

Herod  being  thus  dismissed,  Hircanus  privately  ad- 
vised him  to  make  the  best  of  his  way  to  Syria,  assuring 
him,  that  the  council  was  resolved  the  next  day  to  con- 


B.  C.  40.  of  the  Holy  Bible,  \^\ 

demn  him.  Herod  took  the  hint,  and  fled  to  Damascus, 
where  disposing  his  afiliirs  in  the  most  secure  posture  he 
could,  he  dechned  to  Sextus  Caesar,  that  he  would  not 
appear  before  the  council  if  he  were  summoned  again. 
Herod  having  thus  escaped,  the  council  bitterly  exclaimed 
against  the  remissness  of  Hircanus,  charged  him  w  ith  par- 
tiality, and  assured  him  that  the  consequence  of  this  ne- 
glect would  fall  heavy  upon  him  one  day.  Hircanus  had 
reason  to  believe  them,  but  being  of  an  easy  disposition, 
he  did  not  much  regard  Uiem. 

Whilst  Herod  was  in  Syria,  he,  by  bribes,  prevailed  with ' 
Sextus  Ccesar  to  confer  upon  him  the  government  of 
Caelo- Syria  ;  which  having  obtained,  he  raised  an  army, 
Jind  prepared  to  march  against  Jerusalem,  to  take  revenge 
upon  his  judges  and  those  who  had  accused  him  ;  but  An- 
ti pater  and  Phasael  meeting  him,  endeavoured  to  dissuade 
him,  urging  how  ungrateful  it  would  be  to  Hircanus, 
who  had  screened  him  from  justice,  and  advised  liis  es- 
cape. Upon  their  persuasions,  Herod  for  the  present 
dropped  his  resentment. 

So  long  as  Julius  Cassar  lived,  the  Jews  were  held  in 
great  honour  and  esteem  by  the  Romans,  who  made 
many  decrees  in  their  favour  :  but  after  his  death,  the 
Roman  commonwealth  falling  into  great  dissentions,  and 
eivil  war  raging  among  the  contending  parties,  Cassius, 
having  made  himself  master  of  Syria,  exacted  above 
seven  hundred  talents  of  silver  of  the  Jews,  with  which 
Antipater  caused  his  sons  to  furnish  him,  and  by  those 
means  kept  himself  in  the  government  of  Judea.  Ma- 
lichus  was  a  great  instrument  in  this,  though  an  enemy  to 
Antipater ;  of  which  Cassius  was  so  sensible,  that  he  would 
have  dispatched  him,  had  not  Hircanus,  by  Antipater, 
sent  a  hundred  talents  to  pacify  him.  Instead  of  acknow- 
ledging this  favour,  the  ungrateful  traitor  Malichus,  after 
the  departure  of  Cassius,  made  it  his  business  to  betray 
Antipater,  thinking  by  his  death  to  secure  the  govern- 
ment of  Judea  to  Hircanus,  whom  he  influenced  as  lie 
pleased.  But  Antipater  having  knowledge  of  this  trea- 
chery, passed  the  Jordan,  and  collected  a  party  of  natives 
and  Arabians  to  defend  himself:  which  Malichusperceiving, 


142  J  Complete  History  B.  C.  3*9. 

and  aware  that  his  treason  was  known,  he  confidently  re- 
paired to  Antipater,  and  declared  his  innocence,  urging 
how  impracticable  it  could  be  for  him  to  have  any  design 
upon  Antipater,  whilst  his  son  Phasael  was  governor  of 
the  country  about  Jerusalem,  and  Herod  at  the  head  of 
an  army.  By  these  fair  speeches  Antipater  was  deluded 
into  a  reconciliation  ;  which  Antipater  still  improved,  to 
engage  the  traitor  Malichus  to  his  interest :  for  Marcus, 
the  president  of  Syria,  understanding  that  Malichus  was 
privately  designing  alterations  and  divisions  in  Judea, 
would  have  put  him  to  death,  but  for  Antipater,  who 
interceded  for  him.  This  credulity  cost  Antipater  dear  ; 
for  Cassius  and  Marcus  not  only  confirmed  Herod  in  the 
government  of  Casio- Syria,  with  a  great  addition  of  land 
and  naval  force,  but  promised  him  the  kingdom  of  Judea, 
•wlien  the  war  between  them  and  Antony  was  over.  Ma- 
lichus from  hence  dreading  Antipater's  greatness,  which 
by  the  promotion  of  his  son  would  be  very  much  ad- 
vanced, resolved  to  take  him  off;  therefore  corrupting 
Hircanus's  buder,  he  caused  him  to  be  poisoned  at  an  en- 
tertainment in  Hircanus's  palace.  Phasael  and  Herod 
had  for  some  time  suspected  Malichus's  designs  on  their 
father  ;  but  when  they  heard  of  his  death,  they  concluded 
Malichus  was  the  author  of  it ;  Herod  was  for  revenging  it 
immediately;  but  Phasael,  for  fear  of  a  civil  war,  thought 
it  more  expedient  to  suppress  their  resentment,  till  a 
convenient  opportunity  presented ;  and  therefore  ac- 
cepting Malichus's  satisfaction,  he  appeared  to  be  recon- 
ciled. 

In  the  mean  time,  the  affairs  of  Samaria,  which  had  been 
in  great  disorder,  being  composed  by  Herod,  he  prepared, 
with  a  great  guard  to  go  to  the  feast  at  Jerusalem.  Mali- 
chus, who  was  conscious  to  himself  of  the  evils  he  had 
committed,  and  dreading  Herod's  impetuous  and  revenge- 
ful spirit,  persuaded  Hircanus  not  to  suffer  Herod  to  en- 
ter the  city  in  that  manner;  which  Hircanus  did,  sending 
to  Herod  not  to  profane  the  holy  ceremonies  with  his 
soldiers.  But  Herod  despising  this  admonition,  entered 
the  city  by  night,  which  excited  no  small  terror  in  the 
mind  of  Malichus.     However,  betaking  himself  to  his  old 


B.  C.  39.  of  the  Holy  Bible.  M3 

arts  of  dissimulation,  he  came  to  Herod,  and  with  tears  in 
his  eyes  deplored  the  death  of  his  dear  friend  Anlipater, 
as  he  called  him  :  though  at  the  same  time  he  had  provi- 
ded himself  with  a  strong  guard.  Herod  finding  he  could 
not  fairly  come  at  him  then,  by  advice  of  iiis  friends  con- 
cealed his  revenge,  and  treated  Malichus  with  civility  ; 
but  having  by  letters  signified  to  Cassius  the  death  of  his 
father,  and  his  suspicion  that  Malichus  was  the  cause  of 
it;  Cassius,  who  had  long  entertained  a  secret  grudge 
against  Malichus,  gave  leave  to  Herod  to  revenge  it  as  he 
thought  proper,  and  issued  orders  to  the  officers  to  stand 
by  Herod.  Malichus,  who  knew  he  could  be  safe  no 
where  within  the  reach  of  Herod,  intended  to  go  to  Tyre, 
"where  his  son  was  kept  as  an  hostage.  This  city  held  out 
for  Cassius  against  Antony,  and  Malichus  thought,  if  he 
could  possess  himself  of  it,  the  government  would  of  course 
fall  to  his  share.  But  before  he  could  put  this  project  in 
practice,  Herod  pursued  him,  and  caused  him  to  be  stab- 
bed on  the  sea  shore. 

Cassius  leaving  left  Syria,  a  tumult  arose  in  Judea,  oc- 
casioned by  a  revolt  of  some  Jews  at  Jerusalem,  who,  be- 
ing headed  by  one  whose  name  was  Felix,  attacked  Pha- 
sael.  Herod,  who  was  then  at  Damascus  with  Fabius  the 
governor,  impatiently  prepared  to  succour  his  brother, 
but  was  prevented  by  a  fit  of  sickness.  However,  Pha- 
sael  so  well  defended  himself,  that  he  drove  Felix  and  his 
party  into  a  tower,  where  he  made  them  compound  for 
their  liberty  and  lives.  This  disturbance  was  owing  to  the 
connivance  and  neglect  of  Hircanus,  for  which  Phasael  re- 
proached hull  with  ingratitude,  in  favouring  his  enemies 
against  him,  who  had  heaped  so  many  benefits  on  him. 
At  this  time  the  brother  of  Malichus  was  possessed  of  se- 
veral fortified  places,  particularly  of  the  strong  castle  of 
Massada  :  but  as  soon  as  Herod  recovered  his  health,  he 
dispossessed  him  of  them. 

Antigonus,  the  son  of  Aristobulus,  was  not  idle  all  this 
time  ;  for  having  gained  Fabius  to  his  interest  by  a  bribe, 
with  the  assistance  of  his  father-in-law  and  his  friends,  he 
collected  an  army,  and  attempted  to  possess  himself  of 
Judea.     But  Herod  marched  tigainst  him,  routed  and  ex- 


144  '  A  Complete  History  B.  C.  37. 

pelled  him.  Upon  which  Herod  returned  in  triumph  to 
Jerusalem,  where  he  was  magnificently  received  by  Hir- 
canus  and  the  people  ;  but  especially  by  Hircanus,  whose 
•grand-daughter,  Mariamne,  he  had  married ;  though  he 
had  before  married  Dore,  by  whom  he  had  his  eldest  son 
Antipater. 

After  the  defeat  of  Cassius  at  Philippi,  by  Mark  An- 
tony and  Octavius  Csssar,  Antony  marching  into  Asia, 
arrived  in  Bithynia,  where  he  received  the  deputies  of 
all  those  nations,  that  had  been  of  Cassius's  faction. 
Amongst  these  were  those  of  the  Jews,  who  complained 
to  Antony  of  Phasael  and  Herod,  that  Hircanus  indeed 
had  the  name  of  sovereign,  but  that  those  two  brothers 
had  assumed  the  power.  But  the  Jews  were  mistaken  in 
their  hopes  of  redress  from  Mark  Antony,  whom  Herod 
had  previously,  by  great  presents,  so  engaged  in  his  in- 
terest, that  he  would  not  so  much  as  admit  the  Jews  to 
confront  Herod.  But  when  Antony  came  to  Ephesus,  he 
readily  entertained  ambassadors  from  Hircanus,  who  sent 
him  a  crown  of  gold,  and  intreated  him  to  give  liberty  to 
the  Jews,  whom  Cassius  had  made  slaves ;  which  request 
he  granted. 

Those  Jews  who  were  enemies  to  Herod,  did  not  desist 
-upon  Antony's  first  refusal  to  hear  them,  but  sent  a  hun- 
dred of  the  most  considerable  among  them  to  him  at 
Daphne,  near  Antioch ;  but  to  no  purpose,  for  Hircanus 
-supported  the  two  brothers :  and  this  impeachment,  in- 
stead of  doing  harm,  proved  advantageous  to  them  ;  for 
aitpr  Antony  had  heard  all  that  they  alledged,  he  con- 
stituted Phasael  and  Herod  Tetrarchs,  and  gave  them  the 
government  of  Judea.  This  he  confirmed  by  letters  to 
the  Jews  :  and  to  oblige  them  to  obey  him,  he  detained 
fifteen  of  the  hundred  as  hostages,  whom  he  had  put  to 
death,  but  for  Herod's  intercession.  However,  the  Jews 
continued  their  importunity,  and  in  most  pressing  in- 
stances, which  they  sent  by  a  thousand  of  their  best  men, 
begged  relief;  but  Antony  was  deaf  to  their  complaints, 
and  resolved  to  support  Herod,  sending  a  peremptor}' 
order  to  the  magistrates  to  assist  Herod  in  the  recover}- 
of  his  government.     Herod  repaired  to  Jerusalem,  and 


B.  C.  37.  of  the  Holy  Bible.  145 

meeting  several  of  the  Jews  without  the  cit}',  advised 
them  to  receive  him,  expostulating  with  them  on  the  dan- 
ger of  disobeying  him,  and  provoking  llie  Roman  gene- 
ral. But  they,  despising  both  his  advice  and  threats,  fell 
upon  him  and  his  attendants,  killing  some  and  wounding^ 
others.  Antony  hearing  of  these  commotions,  was  so  en- 
raged, tliat  he  ordered  the  fifteen  hostages  to  be  put  to 
death,  and  threatened  a  severe  revenge  against  the 
rest. 

Herod's  hopes,  which  were  thus  blasted  in  his  attempt 
to  recover  the  government,  seemed  to  be  utterly  extin- 
guished by  another  unfortunate  affair.  Antigonus,  upon 
his  defeat  by  Herod,  fled  to  Parthia,  where  he  was  kindly 
received  and  protected  :  and  after  he  had  established  an 
interest  among  the  most  considerable  of  that  country, 
he  promised  them  a  thousand  talents,  and  five  hundred  of 
the  finest  women,  if  they  would  invest  him  with  the  go- 
vernment of  Judea.  The  Parthians  closed  with  him,  and 
the  king  sent  his  son  Pacorus,  and  his  general  Barza- 
pharnes  with  a  powerful  army  to  invade  Judea.  Dividing 
the  army,  Pacorus  marched  along  the  coast,  and  Barza- 
pharnes  through  the  inland  country.  Pacorus  coming  to 
Tvre,  thev  refused  him  entrance  ;  but  those  of  Sidon  and 
Ptolemais  admitted  him.  Pacorus  having  Antigonus  with 
him,  the  Jews  that  dwelt  about  mount  Carmel  joined 
them,  as  did  many  others  in  their  miarch,  so  that  their 
army  was  greatly  increased  by  the  time  they  came  to  Je- 
rusalem ;  \vhere  the  faction  that  hated  Phasael  and  Herod 
declared  for  i\ntigonus.  Herod  made  some  faint  eff)5rts 
to  keep  the  city,  but  was  soon  obliged  to  fly.  Tlie  Par- 
thians entering  Jerusalem  seized  Hircanus  and  Phasael, 
and  put  them  in  irons.  And  now,  Herod,  considering 
himself  in  a  country  of  enemies,  and  perceiving  no 
hopes  of  safety  but  by  a  speedy  flight,  made  the  best  of 
his  way  to  Rome,  taking  his  mother  with  him.  In  their 
hasty  march,  the  chariot,  in  which  his  mother  rode,  was 
overset,  and  she  in  great  danger  of  being  killed.  Herod, 
affrighted,  partly  at  the  danger  in  which  he  saw  his  mother, 
and  partly  at  the  approach  of  a  pursuing  enemj;,.  would 
have  stabbed  himself;  but  his  friends  interposing,  begged 

Vol.  n.  T        - 


w^* 


146  J  Complete  History  B.  C.  36. 

of  him  to  have  regard  to  his  own  life,  for  the  sake  both  of 
his  mother  and  of  themselves,  who  must  unavoidably  full 
into  the  enemy's  hands,  if  he  destroyed  himself.  Herod, 
at  their  persuasion,  resumed  his  reason,  and  applying 
what  remedies  the  time  would  permit  to  his  mother, 
comforted  his  friends,  and  continued  his  flight  to  the  cas- 
tle of  Massada.  The  number  of  those  who  accompani- 
ed him  in  his  flight  was  about  nine  thousand  ;  so  that 
though  he  was  frequently  attacked  in  his  march,  he  came 
off  victorious. 

\\  hen  he  came  to  Ressa,  a  town  of  Idumea,  his  bro- 
ther Joseph  met  him  ;  where  consuhing  what  course  to 
take,  and  considering  that  the  castle  of  Massada,  whither 
they  intended  to  fly,  was  not  capable  of  receiving  so 
great  a  force  as  was  v^  ith  tliem,  they  concluded  it  would 
be  most  expedient  to  separate.  Accordingly,  furnishing 
them  with  provisions,  they  parted  in  small  bodies.  Then 
dispobii.g  of  the  women  (who  were  eight  hundred  in  all) 
and  the  best  of  their  baggage  in  the  castle  of  Massada, 
where  there  was  plenty  of  water  and  provisions,  Herod 
with  his  party  marched  to  Arabia. 

Antigonus  being  thus  possessed  of  Judea,  was  very 
much  concerned  at  the  escape  of  the  women,  whom  he  in- 
tended to  have  delivered  to  the  Parthians,  with  the  money 
he  had  promised  them  :  but  that  which  gave  him  the  great- 
est uneasiness,  was  his  feai',  that  the  Parthians  would  re- 
store Hircanus  ;  to  prevent  which,  be  caused  Hircanus's 
ears  to  be  cut  off,  to  render  him  incapabk  of  tlie  High- 
priesthood.  Pliasael,  no  longer  able  to  support  himself 
in  his  dishonourable  circumstances,  put  an  end  to  his  life 
and  sufferings  by  a  voluntary  death  ;  for  being  in  chains, 
he  had  not  the  liberty  of  his  hands  to  dispatch  himself;  I 
and  therefore  having  no  other  opportunity,  lie  Ix^at  out  his 
brains  against  the  stone  wall.  As  for  Hircanus,  he  con- 
tinued prisoner  with  the  Parthians. 

Herod  having  arrived  on  the  borders  of  Arabia,  and  not 
in  the  least  doubdng  of  succour  from  Malchus  the  king  of  - 
that  countr}^,  whom  he  had  formerly  very  much  obliged, 
sent  to  him  to  acquaint  him  with  his  condition,  request- 


B.  C.  35.  of  the  Holy  Bible.  147 

in£^  a  supply  of  men  and  money  ;  ofTcring  his  brother 
Phasiiel's  son  (for  lie  had  not  us  yet  heard  of  Phisaei's 
dciitli)  lor  an  hottage,  till  he  paid  him.  Malehiis  fearing 
to  dib(;btige  the  Parihians,  who  were  near  neighbours  to 
him,  dispatched  messengers  to  Herod  to  forbid  him  en- 
lering  his  dominions.  Hercxl  was  very  much  perplexed 
at  this  treatment,  but  could  not  help  himself;  therefore 
going  thence  he  went  to  Kgypt,  where  he  was  kindly  re- 
ceived and  entertained  hy  Cleopatra.  Atterwards,  with 
much  ditiiculty  and  danger  in  passing  the  seas,  he  landed 
at  Brundusium  in  Italy,  from  whence  he  w^ent  directly  to 
Rome ;  where  he  acquainted  Antony  with  all  that  had 
happened  in  Judea,  and  with  what  difficulty  he  had  made 
his  escape  from  thence.  Antony  was  touched  with  He- 
rod's misfortunes  ;  and  considering  the  uncertainty  of 
worldly  affairs,  which  from  the  happiest  condition  arc 
often  reduced  to  the  most  miserable  ;  and  regarding  the 
former  friendship  with  his  father,  and  the  usefulness  of 
Herod's  active  spirit,  (at  the  same  time  not  forgetting 
the  many  presents  he  made  him  to  procure  his  favour) 
not  only  vigorously  prosecuted  his  cause,  but  engaged 
Octavius  Ca3sar  in  his  interest ;  who,  partly  for  his  father 
Antipater's  sake,  and  partly  to  oblige  Antony,  who  he 
knew  was  fond  of  Herod,  resolved  to  forward  his  affliirs 
as  much  as  possible.  These  calling  a  senate,  spoke  largely 
in  behalf  of  Herod,  setting  out  his  services  to  the  Roman 
commonwealth  in  all  emergencies ;  insomuch  that  the  sen- 
ate declared  Herod  king,  and  Antigonus  an  enemy  to  the 
people  of  Rome,  for  having  accepted  the  government  of 
Judea  from  the  Parthians. 

Whilst  things  went  on  thus  successfully  on  Herod's  be- 
half at  Rome,  his  family,  who  were  blocked  up  in  the 
c^isile  of  Massada  under  the  care  of  Joseph,  Herod's  bro- 
ther, were  hardly  pressed  by  Antiog  lus  ;  for  being  in 
great  want  of  water,  they  were  just  upon  the  point  of 
surrendering,  Joseph  intending  with  about  two  hundred 
of  his  nearest  relations  and  friends  to  escape  to  Malchus 
king  of  Arabia,  who  had  repented  of  his  late  neglect  and 
unkindness  to  Herod.  But  Providence  prevented  that 
design  ;  for  a  great  shower  of  rain   falling  by  night,  all 


148  A  Complete  History  B.  C.  35. 

their  cisterns  were  filled  with  water,  and  they  had  no  oc- 
casion for  flight.  The  besieged  upon  this  took  courage  ; 
and  the  place  being  naturally  strong,  and  well  fortified 
by  art,  they  seized  the  most  favourable  opportunities  of 
falling  on  Antigonus's  soldiers,  sometimes  by  open  sallies, 
and  at  other  times  by  surprize,  so  that  they  cut  off  many 
of  them. 

In  the  mean  time  Ventidius,  Antony's  lieutenant,  be- 
ing by  order  of  the  senate  sent  to  expel  the  Parthians  from 
Syria,  having  accomplished  that  business,  entered  Judea, 
under  pretence  of  succouring  Joseph ;  but  his  real  design 
was  to  extort  money  from  Antigonus  ;  after  which  he  left 
Judea. 

Herod  returning  from  Italy  to  Ptolemais,  soon  col- 
lected together  a  considerable  army,  consisting  of  fo- 
reigners, as  well  as  Jews ;  and  to  convince  Herod  that 
Antony  was  in  earnest,  Gellius  was  sent  with  orders  to 
Ventidius  and  Silo,  who  commanded  a  party  in  Judea, 
to  assist  Herod  in  the  recovery  of  his  kingdom.  As  for 
Ventidius,  thouirh  he  was  sent  to  drive  the  Parthians  out 
of  Syria,  and  to  reduce  the  country  to  their  obedience  to 
Rome,  he  afterwards  employed  his  forces  in  plundering  ; 
and  Judea  being  Silo's  province,  by  frequent  bribes  he 
inclined  to  favour  Antigonus.  But  neither  of  them  da- 
ring to  disobey  these  orders  of  Antony,  they  joined  He- 
rod ;  bv  which  means  Herod  once  more  saw  himself  in  a 
condition  of  taking  a  plenary  revenge  on  all  his  enemies. 
Most  of  the  Galileans  joined  him  in  his  march  :  and  Joppa 
lying  between  him  and  Massada,  where  his  relations  were 
shut  up,  he  thought  it  expedient  to  take  in  that  place, 
lest  the  enemy  should  from  thence  attack  him.  He  soon 
made  himself  master  of  it,  set  his  friends  at  liberty  that 
'^vere  in  Massada,  and  taking  the  castle  of  Ressa,  marched 
directly  to  Jerusalem  ;  where  he  encamped  on  the  west 
side  of  the  city.  Antigonus  had  provided  the  place  with 
all  warlike  munition,  and  a  good  garrison,  which  with 
darts  and  stones  from  the  walls,  and  flying  parties,  fre- 
quently making  excursions,  very  much  infested  Herod's 
army.  Herod,  hoping  to  make  easy  work  of  it,  sent  a 
herald  about  the  walls  to  pioclaim  indemnity  to  all  that 


B.  C.  35.  of  the  Holy  Bible.  14?) 

would  submit.  Antigonus,  from  the  wall  directing  his 
speech  to  Silo  and  the  Romans,  argued  the  injustice  they 
did  him  in  translerring  the  crown  from  him,  who  was  of 
roval  descent,  to  a  plebeian  and  half-Jew,  as  Herod  was  ; 
adding,  that  if  they  were  so  offended  \\\\\\  him  for  re- 
ceiving the  kingdom  from  the  Parthians,  that  they  would 
remove  him  ;  yet  there  were  many  of  the  royal  race  left 
who  had  no  May  ofiended  the  Romans.  Alter  these  re- 
proaches on  both  sides,  they  came  to  acts  of  hostility,  and 
Antigonus's  men  behaved  themselves  so  bravely,  that  they 
soon  drove  the  enemy  from  the  Nvalls. 

Silo  having  been  corrupted  by  Antigonus,  secretly  af- 
forded him  every  assistance  in  his  pow  er,  particularly  in 
employing  some  of  his  own  creatures,  in  whom  he  could 
confide,  to  demand  more  commodious  quarters,  and  bet- 
ter pay,  and  complain  that  they  wanted  forage  and  pro- 
visions, which  Antigonus  had  destroyed  in  all  the  neigh- 
bouring country.  This  irritated  Herod,  who,  fearing  that 
the  Romans  would  desert  him,  told  Silo,  he  ought  to 
consider,  that  he  was  not  only  sent  by  C^sar  and  An- 
tony, but  by  the  whole  senate  ;  and  to  remove  any  cause 
of  complaint  among  the  soldiers,  he  would  take  imme- 
diate care,  that  they  should  be  plentifully  supplied  with 
all  things  necessary.  Antigonus  had  notice  of  all  that 
passed,  and  with  flying  parties  and  ambuscades  often  inter- 
cepted and  cut  oft'  the  convoys  that  were  designed  for  He- 
rod's army  and  the  Romans  :  but  Herod,  who  was  as  active 
and  diligent  as  his  enemy,  very  often  came  up  with  them, 
and  pursued  his  advantages  so  closeh%  that  at  last,  with 
much  difficulty,  he  recovered  all  Galilee  from  Antigonus. 
After  which  he  cleared  the  country  of  thieves,  who  in 
great  bodies  plundered  the  towns  and  the  people. 

During  these  transactions,  tjie  siege  of  Jerusalem  pro- 
ceeded but  slowly ;  and  that  which  retarded  it  the  more 
was,  Ventidlus  had  sent  for  Silo  to  come  to  assist  him  to 
drive  the  Parthians  out  of  Syria.  But  after  Ventidius,  in 
a  pitched  battle,  had  fought  and  routed  the  Parthians,  and 
killed  their  general  Pacorus,  he  sent  IMachera  with  aux- 
iliary troops  to  Herod ;  who  proved  more  an  enemy  than 
a  friend,  taking  all  advantages  against  the  Jews,  whether 


150  A  Complete  History  B.  C.  34. 

friends  or  foes,  Herod  so  deeply  resented  this,  that  he 
threatened  to  complain  to  Antony  ;  but  Machera  ap- 
peased him,  and  they  were  reconciled.  However,  Herod 
seeing  his  affairs  move  very  slowly,  and  the  Romuri  gene- 
rals very  cooi  in  his  interest,  resolved  to  repair  to  Antony, 
leaving  his  brother  Joseph  to  observe  Antigonus.  Taking 
a  good  party  with  him,  he  by  swift  marches  came  to  An- 
tioch,  where  he  met  with  a  reinforcement;  with  which  he 
cleared  the  country,  as  he  went,  of  a  wretched  baiiditti, 
who  were  very  troublesome  to  passengers  Antony  was  at 
that  time  besieging  the  city  Samosata,  upon  the  river  Eu- 
phrates ;  but  hearing  that  Herod  was  coming  with  a  rein- 
forcement, and  that  he  had  destroyed  the  barbarous  peo- 
ple in  his  mtrch,  he  drew  out  the  army  to  receive  him. 
Upon  his  approach  Antony  went  out  to  meet  him,  saluted 
.and  embraced  him,  and  shewed  him  all  the  marks  of 
friendship  and  esteem.  Antony  having  ended  the  war  in 
those  parts,  constituted  Sosius  governor  of  the  province, 
leaving  the  army  with  him  ;  and  commending  Herod  and 
his  affairs  to  him,  he  went  for  Egypt.  Sosius  sent  Herod 
back  to  Judea  with  two  legions,  and  himself  followed  with 
the  rest  of  his  army. 

In  the  mean  time  Joseph,  in  the  absence  of  his  bro- 
ther, forgetting  his  instructions,  ^ith  a  detachment 
marched  towards  Jericho  to  procure  forage  ;  but  the 
party  he  had  with  him,  consisting  of  raw  unexperienced 
men,  were  easily  circumvented  by  Antigonus's  veteran 
troops,  who  were  well  acquainted  with  all  the  avenues 
and  passes  of  the  country,  and  easily  defeated  Joseph 
and  his  people.  Antigonus  hearing  of  this  defeat,  or- 
dered Joseph's  head  to  be  cut  off,  setting  the  price  of 
fifty  talents  for  the  rcdcmption-of  it.  Upon  this  the  Ga- 
lileans revolted,  and  Herod's  friends  were  worsted  in 
every  part  of  Galilee.  Whilst  he  was  in  Daphne,  he  re- 
ceived the  information  of  his  brother's  defeat  and  death, 
of  which,  it  is  said,  he  had  some  hints  in  a  dream  a  little 
before:  whereupon  he  hastened  to  mount  Libanon,  and 
there  taking  eiglit  hundred  of  the  natives  of  the  place, 
and  one  Roman  legion,  lie  ])roceeded  to  Piolemais ;  from 
whence  mai-ching   by  night   he   passed  through  Galilee, 


B.  C.  33.  of  the  Holy  Bible.  151 

subduinsj  all  that  came  in  his  wny,  and  forcing  the  rest 
into  strong  holds  ;  who  upon  Antony's  approach,  took 
the  opportunity  of  the  night,  and  made  their  escape  from 
tlience. 

Whilst  Herod  was  at  Jericho,  a  party  of  six  t])0usand 
of  the  enemy  came  resolutely  down  the  hills,  and  put 
the  Romans  into  great  consternation,  beating  back  the 
van-.^uard,  and  pursuing  them  home  to  their  camp ; 
where  thev  so  warmly  engaged  them,  that  Herod  himself 
w'as  woup.ded  in  the  side.  I'his  success  flushed  Antigo- 
nus  ;  who,  being  impatient  of  disputing  it  in  little  par- 
ties, sent  an  officer  of  his,  named  Pappus,  to  Samaria 
for  men,  that  he  might  face  the  enemy  in  the  field.  But 
Herod  meeting  Pappus,  routed  and  pursued  him  to  Je- 
richo, where  the  action  was  relieve  ed  ;  for  tlie  town  being 
full  of  men,  they  made  an  obstinate  defence,  so  that  this 
seemed  the  most  bloody  part  of  the  war,  dead  bodies 
lying  in  heaps  oh  the  ground.  In  the  heat  of  this  ac- 
tion a  most  violent  storm  fell,  which  prevented  Herod's 
party  g;iining  a  complete  victory  ;  otherwise,  had  they 
marched  to  Jerusalem,  thay  had  at  once  put  an  end  to  the 
war:  for  Antigonus's  chief  force  being  broken  at  tte 
action  of  Jericho,  he  himself  began  to  despair  of  fur- 
ther safety  in  the  city,  and  had  thoughts  of  quitting 
it. 

By  this  time  Herod  had  spent  above  two  years  in  the 
recovery  of  Judea,  since  he  was  declared  king  of  it  at 
Rome.  Considering  therefore,  that  as  long  as  Jeiusalem 
held  out,  his  possession  of  other  places  would  be  very 
precarious,  (for  Antigonus's  party  either  by  surprise,  or 
superior  force,  often  dispossessed  him)  he  resolved  to 
bend  his  whole  force  against  the  capital,  and  by  reducing 
that  put  an  end  to  the  war.  In  order  to  which,  and  in 
imitation  of  Pompey,  he  came  and  encamped  before  the 
temple,  which  he  encompassed  with  a  triple  trench.  His 
own  army  consisted  of  about  thirty  thousand  ;  to  which 
Sosius  brought  eleven  legions  of  foot,  and  sixty  thou- 
sand horse,  besides  the  auxiliary  troops  of  Syria.  Anti- 
gonus  had  a  strong  and  numerous  garrison,  and  was  re- 
solved to  hold  out  to  the  last  extremit}'.     Herod,  consi- 


152  A  Complete  History  B.  C.  ^'^. 

ckring  that  the  siege  would  be  long  and  doubtful,  unless 
he  could  cut  off  their  provisions,  which  they  found 
means  to  convey  into  the  city  by  stealth,  so  disposed  his 
troops,  that  he  shut  up  all  avenues  to  it.  Then  having 
prepared  his  engines  for  battery,  he  weakened  the  walls 
in  many  places.  The  besieged  made  a  vigorous  defence, 
and  by  frequent  excursions  burnt  the  engines,  and  ruin- 
ed the  works ;  wherever  Herod  had  made  a  mine,  the 
Jews  in  the  city  countermined,  which  occasioned  many 
subterranean  engagements.  The  Jews  were  at  last  very 
much  streightcned  for  provisions ;  but,  animated  by  des- 
pair, they  resolved  to  gi\e  the  enemy  as  much  trouble 
as  possible.  At  last  being  no  longer  able  to  resist, 
Herod  entered  the  city,  the  Jews  obstinately  retiring  into 
the  inner  temple ;  but  were  pursued  thither.  All  things 
were  in  the  utmost  confusion,  death  and  slaughter  raging 
every  where,  without  distinction  of  age  or  sex.  The 
Romans,  exasperated  at  the  obstinate  defence  of  the 
place,  spared  none  within  their  reach  ;  and  Herod's  party 
resolving  to  extirpate  the  faction,  put  them  all  to  the 
sword  wherever  they  found  them.  Aniigonus,  seeing 
all  lost,  thought  it  best  to  submit,  but  not  to  Herod  ;  for 
observing  from  a  tower  where  Sosius  the  Roman  general 
was,  he  descended,  and  threw  himself  at  his  feet.  Sosius 
ungenerously  insulted  over  the  wretched  Antigonus, 
calling  him  woman,  and  then  put  him  under  a  strong 
guard. 

Herod  being  entirely  possessed  of  the  place,  his  next 
care  was  to  preserve  it  I'rom  plunder.  But  he  found  it  a 
difficult  matter  to  restrain  his  men,  especially  the  mer- 
cenaries, who  were  for  seizing  all  they  laid  tlieir  hands 
upon.  Bat  at  last,  partly  by  intreaty  and  threats,  and 
partly  by  force,  he  quieted  them,  and  the  city  and  tem- 
ple escaped  plundering.  Then  Sosius,  having  rewarded 
his  officers  and  soldiers,  left  Jerusalem  to  Herod,  and  took 
Antigonus  bound  along  with  him  to  Antony.  But  He- 
rod, feared  that  if  Antigoiius  should  be  suffered  to  live, 
and  be  carried  to  Rome  to  Antony,  he  might  probably 
before  the  senate  be  permitted  to  dispute  his  right 
with  him  :    he  further  suggested  to  himself,   that  Ami- 


B.  C.  53.  of  the  Holy  Bible.  153 

goiuis  was  of  the  Ijlood  royal  of  Jiidca,  but  1  imself  of 
nuMii  extraction  ;  and  thcrei'ore,  thoiii^h  the  senate  had 
declared  liim  an  enemy  to  the  people  of  Rome,  \x't  they 
might  jiossibly  transfer  the  ri_y,ht  of  the  crown  to  his  chil- 
dren, w  ho  were  innocent.  Tliese  thoughts  gave  Herod 
much  perplexity  :  but,  to  put  the  matter  out  of  dispute, 
he  made  use  of  his  old  argument,  bribery;  and  sending 
a  noble  present  to  Antony,  then  at  Aiitioch,  he  per- 
suaded him  of  the  necessity  of  taking  off  Antigonus.  An- 
tony had  a  great  mind  to  preserve  Antigonus  to  grace 
his  triumph  ;  but  being  convinced  by  Herod's  gold  more 
than  by  equity  or  reason,  that  so  long  as  Antigonus 
lived,  the  Jews  would  never  quietly  acknowledge  Herod 
for  their  king,  he  ordered  his  head  to  be  struck  off.  This 
was  an  ungenerous  act  of  Antony,  and  without  prece- 
dent ;  for  he  was  the  first  Roman  general  that  subjected 
a  con<]uered  prince  to  so  vile  a  punishment.  Thus  ended 
the  reign  of  the  famous  and  illustrious  house  of 'J'lC  As- 
moneans,  who  had  held  the  government  of  Judea  a  hun- 
dred and  twenty-six  years,  and  which  might  have  conti- 
nued longer  in  their  family,  but  for  their  intestine  dissen- 
sions.* 

AH  this  while  Hircanus  the  High-priest  remained  a 
captive  with  the  Parthians,  whose  king  Phraates,  in  con- 
sideration of  his  birth  -and  character,    treated   him  with 


•  Dissensions. _  The  prophet  Daniel  in  his  predictive  vision  of  the  four  great  em- 
pires, had  beheld  as  a  beast  (differing  from  those  which  had  preceded  it,  namelyj 
the  Babv Ionian,  Persian,  and  Grecian,)  Rome  armed  with /Von-feef/i,  plainly  ex- 
pressive of  its  rapid  conquests  and  desolating  wars.  Under  the  form  of  a  repub- 
lic, it  had  now  attained  its  height' .  of  gp-eatness  and  power,  and  after  reducing 
numerous  states  and  kingdoms  to  the  humble  condition  of  tributary  provinces,  at 
length  proceeded  to  the  dangerous  example  of  subjecting  a  sovereign  prince  to  the 
ignominious  stroke  of  the  executioner's  axe  ! — In  the  just  retributions  of  Provi- 
dence, the  blood  of  Antigonus,  the  last  prince  of  the  Maccabees,  who  wore  the 
crown  of  Judea,  thus  unjustly  shed  by  the  intrigues  of  Herod,  was  amply  visited 
on  the  posterity  of  that  unfeeling  tyrant.  The  Romans,  within  less  than  an  hun- 
dred years,  cut  ofiF  several  of  his  descendants^  and  at  length  entirely  extirpated  his 
whole  posterity. 

Vol.  II.  U 


154  vi  Complete  liistunj  B.  G.  32. 

great  courtesy  ;  and  discharging-  him  from  his  irons,  per- 
mitted him  to  reside  at  Babylon,  where  a  great  number  of 
Jews  dwelt,  who  paid  him  not  only  the  reverence  due  to 
him  as  High-priest,  but  the  honour  due  to  a  king.  Hir- 
canus  had  been  happy  if  he  had  contented  himself  with 
his  present  condition,  and  to  which  the  Jews  endeavoured 
to  incline  him,  assuring  him  they  would  always  acknow- 
ledge him  for  their  High-priest  and  king.  But  Hircanus 
hearing  that  Herod  was  established  in  the  kingdom  of  Ju- 
dea  by  the  Romans,  and  desirous  of  returning  to  his  na- 
tive country,  began  to  entertain  great  hopes  of  Herod's 
friendship,  whose  interest  he  had  formerly  favoured,  and 
saved  his  life.  The  Jews,  to  obviate  these  hopes,  urged 
liis  incapacity  of  the  pontifical  dignity  by  reason  of  the 
loss  of  his  ears,  which  Antigonus  had  cut  off;  and  as  for 
his  expectation  of  a  recompence  for  former  benefits  heap- 
ed on  Herod,  they  advised  him  to  consider  that  kings 
were  apt  to  forget  favours  conferred  on  them  in  a  private 
state,  and  that  their  afiection  was  as  mutable  as  their  for- 
time. 

Hircanus. could  not  more  studiously  push  his  return 
than  Herod  desired  it,  who  earnestly  wished  to  have  him 
in  his  power.  For  Herod's  jealousy  continually  sug- 
gested apprehensions  of  danger  to  him,  and  particularly 
frpm.  the  Asmonean  family,  the  chief  of  which  now  was 
the  captive  pontiff"  Hircanus.  He  therefore  sent  a  splendid 
embassy  with  rich  presents  to  Phraates,  king  of  Parthia, 
desiring  him,  and  the  Jews  that  lived  in  his  dominions^ 
not  to  deny  him  the  satisfaction  of  paying  his  gratitude 
to  Hircanus,  his  benefactor  and  preserver.  Upon  these 
solicitations,  Phraates  dismissed  Hircanus ;  and  Herod, 
the  better  to  colour  his  treachery,  received  him  with  all 
external  formality  and,  respect,  giving  him  the  preference 
in.  all  public  assemblies,  and  cailir.g  him  father.  Hir- 
canus, according  to  the  lavy,  being  incapable  of  conti- 
nuing in  the  office  of  High-priest,  by  reason  of  the  mu- 
tilation of  his  body,  Herod  began  to  consider  how  to 
avoid  all  occasion  of  sedition  in  the  choice  of  a  successor 
to  Hircanus,  which  he  concluded  he  could  not  do  if  he 
should  confer  that  honour  upon  any  one  of  an  illustiious 


B.  C.  31.  of  the  Holy  Bible.  155 

ftmily,  and  therefore  he  bestowed  it  on  Ilanancl,  a  Jewish 
priest,  whom  he  brouglit  from  Babylon.  This  gave 
great  offence  to  Alexandra,  Hircanus's  daughter,  and 
mother  to  Aristobulus  and  Mariamne,  Herod's  wile,  who 
resenting  the  contempt  put  on  her  family,  by  setting- 
aside  her  son,  and  obtruding  a  foreigner  into  the  ponti- 
ficate, she  MTote  to  Cleopatra,  queen  of  Egypt,  to  in- 
cline Antony  to  bestow  that  honour  on  her  son.  Herod 
soon  obtained  notice  of  these  transactions,  and  calling  a 
council,  charged  Alexandra  \\ith  stirring  up  sedition, 
and  attempting  an  alteration  in  the  government :  but  she 
easily  cleared  herself,  declaring  the  truth,  and  that  she 
had  no  other  design  in  writing  to  Cleopatra  but  to  pre- 
serve the  honour  of  the  priesthood  in  her  family,  which 
was  their  right.  Upon  this  they  were  reconciled,  and 
Herod  deposing  Hananel,  created  Aristobulus,  Alexan- 
dra's son,  and  brother  to  his  wife,  High-priest.  This 
reconciliation  did  not  last  long ;  for  Herod's  jealousy 
made  him  keep  a  watchful  eye  over  his  mother-in-law, 
of  whom  at  last  he  grew  so  suspicious,  that  he  confined 
her  to  the  court,  and  forbad  her  to  interfere  in  any  part 
of  the  administration.  This  exasperated  Alexandra,  who 
was  a  woman  of  a  haughty  spirit,  and  could  not  with  any 
temper  bear  the  loss  of  her  liberty  ;  therefore  she  again 
sent  to  Cleopatra,  deploring  lier  present  condition,  and 
desiring  relief.  Cleopatra  ordered  her  to  repair  to  Egvpt 
with  her  son,  and  assured  her  of  protection.  This  ad- 
vice pleased  Alexandra,  and  she  prepared  immediately 
for  their  departure,  concealing  her  design  from  Herod. 
In  order  to  their  escape,  she  had  privately  prepared  two 
biers,  in  ^vhich  their  servants  were  to  carry  them  to  the 
sea- side,  where  a  vessel  lay  ready  to  convey  them  to 
Egvpt.  But  this  stratagem  miscarried  by  the  treachery 
of  a  servant,  who  communicated  it  to  one  Sabbion,  who 
had  formerly  been  suspected  of  having  a  hand  in  the 
poisoning  of  Antipater,  Herod's  father.  Sabbion  hoped, 
by  discovering  this  to  Herod,  to  make  his  peace  with 
him.  Herod  suffered  them  to  pass  a  little  way,  and  then 
seijjed  and  brought  them  back.  But  fearing  Cleopatra's 
power,  who  had  espoused  their  interest,  he  was  forced 


156  ■  A  Complete  History  B.  C.  31. 

to  suspend  his  resentment,  and  seeming  to  pardon  them, 
he  carried  himself  v.idi  a  great  deal  of  kindness;  but  at 
the  same  time  meditated  n  revenge,  especially  on  Aristo- 
biilus,  whom  he  was  resolved  to  remove,  but  at  present 
v/anted  an  opportunity,  which  soon  after  occurred. 

At  the  feast  of  tabernacles,  Aristobulus  was  to  ofnciate 
as  High-priest:  he  was  a  beautiful  youth,  tall  and  well 
shaped,  and  in  the  eighteenth  year  of  his  age.  Being 
dressed  in  the  pontifical  robes,  he  with  great  majesty  and 
state  ascended  to  the  altar,  where  he  performed  the  sa- 
cred rites  with  a  grace  and  becoming  reverence,  which 
so  attracted  the  eyes  of  the  whole  assembly,  that  it 
brought  to  their  minds  the  noble  acts  of  his  royal  grand- 
iather  Aristobulus,  whose  f.imi!y  they  thought  deserved 
a  better  condition  than  at  present  they  enjoyed.  These 
and  such  like  speeches  they  murmured  so  loudly,  that 
Herod  heard  them  :  all  which  did  but  hasten  the  fate  of 
the  royal  youth,  though  for  the  present  Herod  sup- 
pressed his  malice ;  but  soon  after  the  feast  of  taber- 
nacles, Herod  perpetrated  his  wicked  design  on  Aris- 
tobulus, causing  him  to  be  drowned  as  he  was  bathing ; 
and  upon  liis  death  restored  Hananel  to  the  High-priest- 
hood. 

Alexandra,  hearing  of  the  untimely  fate  of  her  son, 
Avas  inconsolable,  and  hardly  prevented  from  laying  hands 
on  herself.  She  suspected  the  cause  of  his  death,  but 
durst  not  meniion  it,  wanting  means  to  revenge  it.  He- 
rod, to  wipe  off  all  suspicion  from  himself,  visited  Alex- 
andr;.i,  and  professed  his  innocence  ;  and  to  incline  her 
to  think  him  sincere,  he  put  on  such  a  counterfeit  sor- 
row, that  any  one  elh.e  w  ould  have  believed  him  but  the 
injured  Alexandra,  whose  resentment  checked  her  belief, 
and  would  not  suffer  her  to  be  imposed  upon  by  his  hy- 
pocritical tears. 

Alexandra's  grief  finding  no  abatement,  she  at  last 
projected  a  way  to  do  herself  justice  on  the  author  of  her 
son's  murder.  She  acquainted  Cleopatra  widi  Herod's 
treachery,  and  the  untimely  death  of  her  son,  aggravat- 
iny;  her  loss  in  all  its  circumstances.  Cleo'jatra  made  the 
case  her  own,  and  resolved  to  have  her  righted,    conti- 


B.  C.   31.  of  the  Holy  Bible.  157 

inially  soliciting  Antony  to  revenge  the  death  of  Ari.sto- 
buUis,  urging,  liow  unjust  it  was  in  Herod,  after  he  had 
usurped  the  kingdom,  thus  inhumanly  to  persecute  that 
unhappy  famil}-.  Antony,  at  the  importunity  of  Cleo- 
patra, came  to  Laodicea,  and  sends  lor  Herod  to  clear 
himself  of  this  accusation  concerning  the  death  of  Aristo- 
bulus.  Herod  not  daring  to  trust  to  the  merits  of  his 
cause,  and  dreading  Cleopatra,  who  made  it  her  business 
to  incense  Antony  against  him,  was  in  great  perplexity 
what  to  do  :  but  the  necessity  of  the  thing  soon  dictated 
to  him,  and  it  was  to  no  purpose  to  dispute  the  will  of 
the  Roman  general.  Therefore,  constituting  his  uncle 
Joseph,  governor  of  the  kingdom  in  his  absence,  he 
charged  him,  if  things  should  go  amiss  witli  him  before 
Anton}',  to  dispatch  his  wife  Iviariamne,  which  he  pre- 
tended he  did  out  of  excess  of  love  to  her,  not  being  able 
to  bear  the  thought  of  her  being  married  to  another  person 
after  his  death. 

Herod  fearing  the  worst,  knew  that  gold,  if  any  thing, 
must  secure  his  head ;  and  therefore  taking  a  great  sum 
with  him,  he  confidently  went  to  Antony^  who  received 
liis  presents,  and  him  for  their  sake.  Insomuch,  that  in- 
stead of  hearing  and  enquiring  into  the  case,  he  defended 
Herod,  and  told  Cleopatra,  that  it  was  below  a  kinp-  to 
give  account  of  his  actions  to  any,  which  if  he  did,  he 
deserved  no  longer  to  be  king.  Cleopatra's  hatred  (as 
it  proved  afterwards)  to  Herod,  did  not  proceed  so  much 
from  the  abhorrence  of  his  cruel  actions,  as  the  desire 
she  had  of  procuring  his  condemnation,  that  she  might 
possess  his  kingdom,  and  of  which  Antony  was  apprised ; 
therefore,  before  he  proceeded  on  his  expedition  against 
the  Parthians,  he  gave  Ceelo- Syria  to  Cleopatra  in  lieu 
of  her  expectations  from  Judea.  Herod  having  made  his 
peace,  and  secured  his  interest  in  Antony,  takes  his  leave, 
and  returns  home;  where  he  no  sooner  arrives,  but  he  is 
accosted  by  his  sister  Salome,  with  an  accusation  of  in- 
decent conversation  between  his  uncle  Joseph  and  his 
wife  Mariamne.  This  was  grounded  on  a  pique  Salome 
had  contracted  against  the  queen,  who  valuing  herself 
on  her  high  birth,    despised   the   obscure  extraction  of 


158  A  Complete  History  B.  C.  30. 

Herod's  family.  The  queen  cleared  herself  of  these  ma- 
lignant aspersions ;  and  Herod  not  only  accepted  her  rea- 
sons, but  asked  pardon  for  entertaining  ill  thoughts  of  her 
virme.  However,  not  knowing  how  viciously  inclined  his 
uncle  Joseph  might  be,  he  dispatched  him,  and  shut  up 
his  mother-in-Iav/  in  close  confinement. 

After  this,  lie  discovered  Cleopatra's  sordid  temper, 
which  he  appeased  with  many  and  rich  presents.  And 
now  having  quieted  iiis  enemies  at  home,  and  secured  his 
interest  abroad,  he  made  war  with  good  success  against 
the  Arabians,  w  horn  he  brought  to  terms,  and  obliged 
ihcm  .o  court  his  friendship-  Then  returning  home,  he 
was  received  with  great  esteem  and  respect  by  his  people 
for  his  courage  and  conduct.  But  just  as  this  sun-shine 
of  prosperity  broke  out  upon  hun,  a  disaster  happened 
which  had  like  to  have  ruined  all  his  hopes  ;  for  Antony, 
being  w  orsted  at  the  battle  of  Actium  by  Augustus  Ccesar, 
he  had  cause  to  fear  lest  Augustus  should  take  away  his 
kingdom  for  having  been  so  firm  a  friend  to  Antony. 
This  misfortune  roused  his  jealousy,  and  wherever  he 
looked  he  thought  he  perceived  an  enemy  ;  but  when  he 
considered  that  Hircanus  was  yet  living,  and  that  he  was 
the  only  one  of  the  blood  royal,  he  resolved  to  put  a  pe- 
riod to  his  life,  and  his  own  fears.  To  effect  which,  an 
occasion  soon  jjresented  :  Alexandra,  Hircanus's  daughter, 
seeing  her  lather  supinely  careless  and  unconcerned  at 
the  miseries  of  his  lamiiy,  earnestly  pressed  him  not  so 
tamely  to  suffer  Herod  to  be  their  scourge  and  ruin,  but 
to  demand  aid  of  Malchus,  king  of  Arabia,  who  would 
not  fail  to  assist  him ;  adding,  that  if  Caesar  should  call 
Herod  to  account  for  his  former  friendship  to  Antony, 
which  might  reasonably  be  expected,  the  cro\vn  would 
no  doubt  return  to  him.  Hircanus  at  first  refused  to 
meddle  in  so  dangerous  an  affair;  but  his  daughter's  am- 
bition and  importunity  at  last  prevailed,  and  he  v^rote 
letters  to  Malchus,  which  he  sent  by  Dosilheus,*  whom 


*  Dositheus.  This  Dosiiheus  had  little  reasor,  if  anv,  to  betray  Hircanus  to 
Herod ;  for  Herod  was  ;-..  declared  enemy  of  Dositheus,  who  was  a  near  kins- 
man of  Joseph,  w.ho;-n  Herod  caused  to  be  murdered  ;  and  a  little  before  his  bre- 
tliren  were  slain  at  Tj-re  by  Anicny . 


B.  C.  30.  of  the  Holy  Bible.  159 

he  thought  he  had  made  secure  in  his  interest :  but  the 
treacherous  wretch  betrayed  him  to  Herod;  who  to  mak« 
the  thing  more  plain  and  evident  against  Hircanus,  en- 
joined Dositheus  silence,  bid  him  take  the  letter,  and 
carry  it  to  Maichus,  the  king  of  Arabia,  who  would  not 
(ail  to  give  him  an  answer,  which  when  he  had  got,  lie 
ordered  him  to  brinsr  it  to  him.  Dositheus  hastened  awav 
to  Maichus,  and  having  delivered  liircanus's  letter,  he 
soon  received  an  answer,  which  he  immediately  brought 
back  to  Herod,  who,  sending  lor  Hircanus,  taxed  him 
with  holding  correspondence  with  the  king  of  Arabia, 
which  he  denying,  Herod  produced  Malchus's  letter. 
Hircanus  being  thus  convicted  had  nothing  to  say  for 
himself:  upon  which  Herod  caused  him  to  be  put  to 
death,  being  in  the  eighty-tirst  year  of  his  age. 

Hircanus  being  thus  disposed  of,  Herod  prepared  to 
wait  on  Caeiar,  expecting  no  kind  treatment,  because  of 
his  former  friendship  to  Antony ;  however,  suspecting 
hjs  mother-in-law  Alexandra  might,  in  his  absence,  oc- 
casion some  tumult  or  intestine  disturbance,  iie  com- 
mitted the  government  to  the  care  of  his  brother  Phe- 
roras,  whom  he  ordered  to  convey  his  mother,  sister,  and 
other  relations,  to  the  castle  of  Massada.  But  considering 
that  by  reason  of  the  old  grudge  between  the  queen  and 
his  relations,  he  disposed  of  her  and  her  mother  Alex- 
andra in  the  castle  of  Alexandrion,  the  charge  of  which 
he  committed  to  Joseph  and  Sohemus,  two  of  his  faith- 
ful confidents;  but  he  gave  them  commission,  as  he  had 
done  before  to  his  uncle  Joseph,  that  if  tiiey  should  hear 
things  went  amiss  with  him  at  Caesar's  court,  they  should 
destroy  both  his  wife  and  her  mother,  and  preserve  the 
kingdom  for  his  sons  and  his  brother  Pheroras- 

Herod  having  thus  disposed  of  his  family  and  other  af- 
fairs, went  to  Rhodes  to  meet  Ctesar  :  where  being  come 
into  his  presence  without  his  diadem,  but  otherwise 
dressed  in  his  usual  robes,  he  owned  his  friendship  for 
Antony;  that  he  had  assisted  him  often  uith  money  and 
provisions,  and  was  always  ready  to  sacrifice  his  life  and 
fortune  for  him,  to  whon)  he  owed  both;  but  now  the 
face   of  affairs  being  changed,   he  assured  him  that  he 


160  A  Complete  History  B.  C.  30. 

uould  be  lis  faithful  to  him  as  he  had  been  to  Antony. 
This,  Herod  dtlivered  with  such  intrepidity,  and  so  be- 
coming an  air,  that  Caesar,  mightily  pleased  with  thc- 
magnaninuty  and  spirit  of  the  nian,  caused  him  to  put 
on  his  di.idem  again,  confirmed  him  in  his  kingdom  of 
Judea,  and  received  him  into  his  friendship,  assuring 
him  that  he  should  have  the  same  esteem  for  him  that 
Antony  had. 

Herod  coming  off  -thus  beyond  all  hope  or  expectation, 
jojfully  attended  Ciesar  into  Egypt,  by  the  way  making 
him  and  his  officers  m;iny  considerable  presents :  after 
which  he  returned  to  Judea  loaded  with  honour  and 
power,  to  the  great  wonder  and  surprise  of  the  people, 
who  expected  from  this  interview  a  different  turn  of  af- 
fliirs  in  his  fortune.  As  Coesar  returned  from  Egypt,  He- 
rod received  him  at  Ptolemais,  where  he  entertained  him 
with  royal  magnificence,  hospitably  treating  his  army, 
and  furnishing  them  with  all  necessaries  in  great  plenty. 
This  generous  and  munificent  temper  of  Herod  gratified 
the  covetous  dispo^iiion  of  Augustus,  who  was  as  ready 
to  receive  his  presents,  as  the  other  was  to  offer  them. 
Upon  CcCi-ir's  departure,  Herod  made  him  a  present  of 
eight  hundred  talents,  and  was  so  liberal  to  all,  that  he 
seemed  profuse,  bej  ond  the  wealth  and  reveimes  of  his 
kingdom. 

At  his  return  to  Judea,  he  found  a  great  disorder  in  his 
family,  especi;il!y  in  his  wife  and  her  iiiother,  mIio  were 
so  incensed  at  tlieir  confinement,  and  the  charge  he  had 
left  with  their  l^'epers  to  put  them  to  death,  if  things 
went  amiss  with  him  upon  his  meeting  Caiiar,  that  they 
reproached  him  to  his  face,  especialiy  iviariainne ;  and 
W'hen  he  with  pleasure  rek'.ted  to  Ikt  thic  success  u\  his 
interview  with  Cassar,  and  the  honour  done  him,  it  was 
evidently  a  matter  of  grief  to  her.  This  aversion  tor- 
tured Herod:  honour  dictated  levenge  to  punish  her 
pride,  but  then  love  interceded.  His  own  mother  and 
sister  seeiiig  him  in  diis  perplexity,  thought  it  the  only 
opportunity  to  improve  his  aversion  to  her,  and  there- 
fore they  loaded  her  with  all  the  calumny  that  malice  crnild 
invent.     Herod   gladly   heard,   but   unwillingly    believed 


/, 


B.  C.  29.  of  the  Ilohj  Blhlc.  IGl 

tlicm.  Jealousy  and  love  tliiis  agitating  his  disturbed 
mind,  liis  hatred  at  lust  prevailed,  and  he  had  determined 
something  fatal  against  Mariamne,  if  an  accident  had  not 
interposed  and  prevented  his  furious  purpose :  for  hear- 
ing of  the  death  of  Antony  and  Cleopatra,  and  that 
Caesar  was  possessed  of  all  Egypt,  he  was  obliged  once 
more  to  attend  him.  Therefore  committing  his  family 
again  to  Sohemus,  to  engage  him  the  more  to  his  in- 
terest, he  first  thanked  him  ibr  his  former  care  and  ser- 
vice, and  then  invested  him  with  the  government  of  part 
of  Judea  in  his  absence.  Herod  was  received  more  ho- 
nourably by  Cassar  than  before,  \\\\o  conferred  on  him 
many  additional  fa\'ours :  for  he  gave  him  Cleopatra's 
guard,  which  consisted  of  four  hundred  Gauls,  and  the 
government  of  that  part  of  the  country  which  she  had 
possessed.  He  likewise  added  to  his  kingdom,  on  the 
continent,  Gadara,  Hippo,  and  Samaria;  and  on  the 
coast,  Gaza,  Anthedon,  Joppa,  and  the  tower  of  Straton. 
Then,  waiting  on  Caesar  to  Antioch,  he  returned  to  his 
own  country,  where  he  found  fortune  as  adverse  at  home, 
as  it  had  been  propitious  to  him  abroad.  Herod  loved  his 
wife  Mariamne  even  to  madness,  which  she  returned  with 
extreme  hatred  and  disdain.  This  aversion  was  heighten- 
ed by  many  unhappy  circumstances ;  and  it  looked  like 
a  curse  on  Herod  to  dote  on  the  woman  that  hated  him. 
She  looked  on  him  as  the  fatal  scourge  and  persecutor  of 
her  family,  whose  right  he  had  usurped  and  tyrannically 
Jiut  several  of  them  to  death.  And  when  he  would  ex- 
postulate with  her  on  the  ingratitude  and  coldness  with 
which  she  returned  his  affection,  she  would  reproach  him 
with  the  murder  of  her  father  and  her  brother.  But  that 
which  aggravated  this  unhappy  difference  was  Mariamne's 
contemptuous  treatment  of  Herod's  relations  with  the 
meanness  of  their  birth. 

Herod  having  wasted  a  year  after  his  return  from  C^sar 
in  this  uneasiness,  and  finding  his  wife  implacable,  re- 
solved to  chastise  her,  though  at  the  loss  of  his  quiet : 
ibr  suspecting  an  unjustifiable  intimacy  between  his  friend 
Sohemus  and  his  wife,  he  caused  him  to  be  dispatched 
out  of  the  world.     But  not  being  able  to  make  out  any 

Vol.  II.  X 

/ 


162  A  Complete  History  B.  C.  28. 

clear  proof  against  his  wife,  his  sister  Salome  furnished 
him  with  an  accusation  to  take  her  off,  by  bribing  He- 
rod's cup-bearer  to  pretend  to  him  that  the  quecnihad  cor- 
rupted  him  to  poison  him.  Upon  tiiis,  Herod  calling  a 
council  of  friends  only,  accused  her  of  a  design  to  take 
him  off;  and  being  now  grown  resolute  in  his  revenge, 
he  gave  vent  to  his  passion,  and  reproached  her  in  the 
vilest  manner,  and  very  unbecoming  the  reverence  due  to 
that  assembly.  The  council  not  daring  to  oppose  Herod's 
impetuous  humour,  joined  with  him  in  the  condemnation 
of  his  innocent  wife.  However,  his  dying  aff^-Ction  so 
far  revived,  that  he  consented  with  the  council  not  to  put 
her  to  death,  but  confine  her  to  close  imprisoi^ment.  Sa- 
lome, who  well  knew  her  brother's  temper,  and  fearing 
that  so  long  as  iNlariamne  lived  he  might  relapse  into  his 
former  fondness,  urged  the  necessity  of  the  queen's  speedy 
execution;  for  if  it  should  be  known  that  she  was  con- 
fined," the  people  would  attempt  her  enlargement.  Upon 
this,  Herod,  who  was  jealous  of  his  power,  changed  his 
mind,  and  commanded  her  to  be  put  to  death  immediate- 
ly. Mariamne  received  her  doom  with  her  usual  magna- 
nimity, not  betraying  the  least  fear  in  any  gesture  or  look, 
but  with  an  intrepidity  and  resolution  uncommon  to  her 
sex,  greatly  submitted  to  the  fatal  stroke.  Thus  perished 
the  most  beautiful  and  innocent  Mariamne,  who  fell  a  sa- 
crifice to  her  husband's  jealousy,  and  the  implacable  malice 
of  his  relations.  A  woman  of  strict  \irtue,  and  who,  but 
for  her  haughty  spirit,  might  have  spent  her  days  in  great 
tranquillity. 

Herod  soon  repented  of  his  rashness  in  executing  his 
resentment  so  fatally  ;  for  though  he  liad  irrecoverablv 
shaken  her  off  from  his  emi)racGs,  yet  her  beautiful  image 
still  possessed  his  soul,  and  she  was  always  present  in  his 
thoughts :  he  often  called  on  her  name,  and  most  immo- 
derately deplored  her  death  :  the  pursuit  of  glory  was  no 
••longer  his  delight ;  but  supinely  neglecting  government, 
he  indulged  liimseif  in  his  sorrows,  and  became  incon- 
solable. In  vain  his  friends  attempted  to  comfort  him, 
he  had  no  sense  of  pleasure  in  the  variety  of  entertain- 
ments which  they  prepare  to  divert  him,  and  all  delica- 


B.  C.   21.  of  the  llobj  BA.  163 

cics  are  to  him  insipid.  A  pestilence  happening  at  this 
time,  it  afflcted  tlie  people  of  all  degrees,  vvhieii  thty  in- 
terpreted as  a  judgment  from  God  lor  the  unjust  death  of 
the  queen.  And  noiv  Herod  having  aiilicted  himself  with 
the  most  pungent  grief  for  his  murdered  wife,  retires  into 
the  country,  w  here  in  a  {iiw  days  he  contracted  a  dan- 
gerous distemj)er :  for  he  was  seized  with  a  violent  in- 
flimmation  and  pain  in  his  neck,  which  buffled  the  art  of 
his  physicians,  who  could  give  him  no  relief.  In  this 
condition  he  languished  for  some  time  at  Samaria  and  Se- 
baste  ;  during  which  time  Alexandra,  Maria nmc's  mo- 
ther, attempted  to  possess  herself  of  all  the  fortresses  of  Je- 
rusalem :  whieh  when  Herod  heard,  he  commanded  her 
to  be  put  to  death. 

After  his  recovery,  he  built  the  city  of  Ccesarca  in  ho- 
nour of  Augustus  Cassar,  and  rebuilt  the  temple  of  Jeru- 
salem, making  it  a  most  magnificent  structure.  The  rest 
of  his  life  he  spent  in  acts  of  cruelty,  putting  to  death  Cos- 
tobarus,  husband  to  his  own  sister  Salome,  who  was  ac- 
cused of  treason.  Nor  v\as  he  less  sparing  of  his  own  is- 
sue, for  he  caused  his  two  sons  Alexander  and  Aristobu- 
lus,  whom  he  had  by  Mariamne,  to  be  strangled.  Not 
long  before  his  own  death  he  murdered  his  son  Antipater. 
By  his  will  he  left  Archelaus,  whom  he  had  by  Maltace, 
a  Samaritan,  heir  to  his  dominions. 

Herod,  usually  stiled  the  Great,  the  father  of  the  last 
race  of  kings,  who  filled  the  throne  of  Judea,  was 
througiiout  his  whole  reign,  a  consummate  politician,  a 
severe  master,  an  inhuman  father,  and  a  proflig.  te  tyrant.. 
The  early  part  of  his  life  W"as  distinguished  by  gieat  acti- 
vity and  cunning.  By  his  arts  and  intrigues  with  the  Ro- 
mans, still  more  than  by  arms,  he  subverted  the  Asmo- 
nean  family,  who  had  possessed  the  supreme  power  about 
one  hundred  and  twenty- nine  years.  To  ingratiate  him- 
self w  ith  the  Jews,  to  w  hom  he  u  as  hateful  on  many  ac- 
counts, he  repaired,  enlarged,  and  beautified  the  temple; 
but  having  no  religion,  he,  at  the  same  time,  in  co'iipli- 
ment  to  the  Romans,  placed  a  golden  eagle  over  the  prin- 
cipal gate  of  that  sacred  edifice.  His  reign  was  a  reign 
of  blood ;  and  none  felt  the  fury  of  his  temper  and  the 


164  A  Complete  History  B.  C.  21., 

weight  of  his  t3Tanny  more  severely  than  his  own  unhap- 
py family,  so  that  it  was  said  of  him  by  Augustus,  *'  It 
**  were  belter  to  be  Herod's  hog  than  his  son."  Of  his 
children,  he  caused  all  the  most  promising  to  die  by  the 
liands  of  the  executioner,  and  his  most  faithful  friends  ex- 
pired in  torments.  By  his  nine  wives  he  had  many  chil- 
dren, several  of  whom  succeeded  him  in  the  throne, 
though  none  of  them  equalled  him  in  power  and  magni- 
ficence. The  most  belo\  ed  of  all  his  wives  was  Mari- 
amne,  daughter  of  Simon  the  High-priest,  son  of  John 
Hircanus  and  last  of  all  the  Maccabees,  many  of  whom 
he  had  basely  murdered ;  and  at  length  his  \\  ife  herself 
in  a  fit  of  jealousy  ;  and  one  of  the  last  acts  of  his  ill- 
spent  life  was  causing  the  destruction  of  the  infants  in  Beth- 
lehem. 

Of  his  family  recorded  in  scripture,  we  notice  the  fol- 
lowing persons  who  were  his  sons. 

Archtlaus^  who  succeeded  him,  and  reigned  ten  years 
in  Judea,  Matthew,  ch.  ii.  ver.  22. 

Herod  AniJp as,  Tetrarch  of  Galilee  and  Perea,  Luke, 
iii.  V.  1. 

Philips  Tetrarch  of  Iturea  and  Trachonitis.  He  mar- 
ried Salome,  daughter  of  Herodias,  who  with  her  daugh- 
ter, caused  John  the  Baptist  to  be  beheaded. 

Herod  Philips  youngest  and  only  surviving  son  of  Ma- 
riamne ;  the  first  husband  of  Herodias  and  father  of  her 
daughter  Salome. 

Besides  these  sons,  Herod  had  two  grandchildren,  whose 
fiither  was  Aristobulus,  the  eldest  son  of  Mariamne,  who 
was  put  to  death  with  his  brother  Alexander,  some  time 
after  the  death  of  their  mother.     These  v.  ere, 

I.  Agrippa,  or  Herod  Agrippa,  made  by  Caligula  king 
of  Judea.  He  slew  St.  James,  first  bishop  of  the  church  of 
Jerusalem,  and  endeavoured  to  destrov  Peter,  lie  after- 
wards  died  miserably.  Acts,  ch.  xxi.  vcr.  22,  23. 

II.  Herodias i  wife  of  Herod  Philip,  and  mother  of 
S.ilpme. 

Of  these  the  only  descendants  were, 
.     ].  Agrippa,  the  Second,  and  younger,  king  of  some 
country  near  Judea,  before  whom  St.  Paul  answered  the 


B.  C.   21.  of  the  llohj  Bihle.  165 

accubiitions  cf  the  Jews,  and  who    acknowledged  himself 
to  be,  almost  a  Christian,  Acts,  ch.  xxvi.  vcr.  28. 

II.  Berenice,  his  sister,  w  ife  of  Herod,  king  of  Chal- 
cis.  She  is  also  mentioned  in  the  Acts  of  the  Apos- 
tles. 

III.  Driisillay  sister  of  Agrippa,  the  younger,  and  wife 
to  Felix  the  Roman  procurator  of  Judea  ;  Acts,  ch.  xxiv. 
ver.  24. 

Of  a  family  once  so  numerous,  the  fruit  of  so  many 
marriages,  not  one  of  Herod's  posterity  lived  to  fill  the 
throne  beyond  the  third  generation!*  This  circum- 
stance w  hen  contrasted  with  what  happened  to  the  family 
of  David,  which  reigned  in  an  unbroken  line  almost  five 
hundred  years,  and  even  after  the  Babylonish  captivity 
held  the  supreme  power  in  Judea  for  several  generations, 
must  naturally  arrest  the  attention  of  the  most  super- 
ficial observer.  The  Almighty  disposer  of  all  events,  at 
whose  nod  empires  rise  and  fall,  and  nations  flourish  or 
decay,  marks  with  undeviating  attention,  and  a  retributive 
hand,  not  only  the  sins  of  a  people,  but  the  turpitude  of 
sovercisrns. 

O 

After  the  return  of  the  Je\^'s  from  the  Babylonish  cap- 
tivity into  their  own  countiy,  their  affairs  continued  to 
l)e  administered  \yy  a  succession  of  governors,  most  of 
whom  were  of  the  house  and  lineage  of  David,  till  the 
rise  of  the  Asmonean  family,  whose  zeal  and  courage 
certainly  deserved  the  gratitude  and  attachment  of  their 
countr^^  -Though  not  of  the  family  of  Aaron,  in  which, 
by  God's  special  appointment,  the  High  priesthood  was 
to  remain,  this  dignity  was  vested  in  them  as  we  have  al- 
ready seen,  and  some  time  after  they  took  the  title  of 
king,  which  they  retained  till  the  defeat  and  death  of 
Aniigonus  made  way  for  Herod,  and  the  elevation  of  his 
family  to  the  Jewish  throne.  No  event  contributed  more 
to  the  downfal  of  the  Maccabees  than  the  ill  advised  par- 


•  Generation.     Visiting  the  sins  of  the  fathers  upon  the  children  to  the  third 
and  fourth  generation  of  them  that  hate  tne.    Exodus,  ch.  xx.  v.  5. 


166  A  Complete  His  fort/  B.  C.  21. 

tiality  shewn  by  them  alternately  to  the  two  great  sects  so 
often  mentioned,  and  so  frequently  and  justly  condemned 
by  the  Saviour  of  the  world,  the  Pharisees  and  S.dducees. 
Herod  profited  by  the  weakness  of  the  Asmonean  family, 
no  less  than  by  the  confusion  that  these  sectaries  occasion- 
ed; but  after  he  had  put  almost  the  whole  Sanhedrim,  or 
great  council  of  the  Jews  to  death,  in  the  early  part  of  his 
reign,  we  hear  but  little  more  of  these  two  irreconciUtble 
factions.  It  is  highly  probable,  that  the  severity  of  his 
temper  and  great  militaiy  character  kept  them  in  awe,  for 
the  Jews  were  never  completely  reconciled  either  to  him 
or  any  one  of  his  family.  The  frequent  mention  made 
in  the  gospels  as  well  as  in  various  parts  of  the  history 
of  the  Maccabees  of  the  leading  sects,  may  render  some 
account  of  them  acceptable  as  well  as  useful  for  the  better 
understanding  what  is  said  of  them  in  the  preceding 
history,  as  well  as  in  the  historical  parts  of  the  New  Tes- 
tament. 

After  the  return  of  the  Jews  from  Babvlon,  and  the  full 
settling  of  the  Jewish  church  again  in  Judea  by  Ezra  and 
Nehemiah,  there  arose  two  parties  of  men  among  them  ; 
the  one,  who  adhering  to  the  written  word  held,  that  in 
the  observance  of  that  alone  they  fulfilled  all  righteousness 
and  therefore  thourcht  this  alone  sutficient  to  entitle  them 
to  the  name  of  Zadikim,  i.  e.  The  righteous;  the  other, 
who  over  and  above  the  w  ritten  law  superadded  the  tradi- 
tional constitutions  of  the  Elders,  and  other  rigorous  ob- 
servances, which  by  way  of  supererogation  they  volunta- 
lily  devoted  themselves  to  ;  and  therefore  from  hence  be- 
ing reckoned  of  a  superior  degree  of  holiness  above  the 
others  they  were  called  Ceasidim,  that  is,  the  pious,  m  ho 
are  the  same  that  are  mentioned  in  the  Maccabees  bv  the 
name  of  Assideans.  From  the  former  of  these  proceeded 
the  Samaritans,  ilie  Sadducees,  and  the  Karraites;  and 
from  the  latter  the  Pharisees,  and  the  Esscnes ;  of  all 
which  we  shall  make  some  mention. 

I.  The  Scimaritans  were  no  more  at  first,  than  a  sort  of 
heathens,  who  worshipped  the  God  of  Israel  hut  in  an 
idolatrous  nsanner,  and  in  conjunction  with  their  other 
Deities,  and  so  continued  till  Manasseh  with  other  I'ugi- 


I 


B.  C.  21.  of  the  Holy  Bible,  167 

live  Jews  coming  to  them  from  Jerusalem  brouglit  with 
them  the  book  of  the  law,  and  out  of  it  tiiup;ht  them  to  re- 
ject all  idolatry,  and  to  worship  the  true  God  only  accord- 
ing to  the  Mosaic  institution ;  and  from  the  time  that  they 
became  thus  reformed,  they  may  truly  be  reckoned  a  sect 
of  the  Jewish  religion. 

II.  The  Saddueees  were  at  first  no  more  than  what  the 
Karraites  are  now,  that  is,  the}-  would  not  receive  the 
traditions  of  the  elders,  but  stuck  to  the  written  word 
only.  And  as  long  as  the  Saddueees  opposed  them  no 
further  than  in  this  matter  only,  tiiey  were  in  the  right ; 
but  afterward  they  imbibed  other  doctrines,  which  ren- 
dcred  them  a  sect  thoroughly  impious.     For 

1st.  They  denied  the  resurrection  of  the  dead,  tlie  be- 
ing of  angels,  and  all  existences  of  the  spirits  or  souls  of 
men  departed.  For  their  notion  was,  that  there  is  no 
spiritual  being  but  God  only ;  that  as  to  man  this  world 
is  his  all  ;  that  at  his  death,  body  and  soul  die  together 
never  to  live  more,  and  that  therefore  there  is  no  future 
reward  or  pujiishment.  They  acknowledged  that  God 
made  this  world  by  his  power,  and  go\  erns  it  by  his  pro- 
vidence, and  for  tlie  carrying  on  of  this  goveniment 
hath  ordained  rewards  and  punishments,  but  that  they 
are  in  this  world  only  ;  and  for  this  reason  alone  it  was, 
that  they  worshipped  him  and  paid  obedience  to  his  laws. 
In  short,  they  were  Epicurean  Deists  in  all  other  re- 
spects, excepting  only  that  they  allowed,  that  God  made 
the  world  by  his  power,  and  governs  it  by  his  provi- 
dence. 

When  men  Tne  such  lives,  that  they  cannot  give  God 
an  account  of  them,  they  greedily  lay  hold  of  any 
scheme  how  false  and  foolish  soever,  that  shall  exempt 
them  from  it.  Epicurus's  boast  was,  that  he  had  deliv- 
vered  the  world  from  the  fear  of  the  srods.  And  to  lav 
asleep  the  conscience,  and  deliver  men's  minds  from  the 
fear  of  God,  and  his  judgments,  so  as  to  be  at  liberty  to 
sin  on  without  reluctance  or  regret,  is  the  only  reason 
that  makes  any  to  be  Epicurus's  disciples.  And  it  is  most 
likely  that  this  impiety  among  the  Jews  had  the  same  ori- 
gin.    Under  the  Asmoneiui  princes  tlie  Jews  grew  pros- 


168  A  Complete  Hist  or?/  B.  C.  21* 

perous,  powerful,  and  rich,  and  their  riches  produced 
great  luxury  and  vice.  To  free  their  consciences  from 
the  fear  of  a  future  accountinsr  for  the  enormities,  which 
grew  up  from  this  root,  was  the  true  cause,  that  intro- 
duced this  doctrine  against  a  future  state  among  theni. 
This  is  confirmed  by  what  Josephus  writes  of  this  sect ;  he 
tells  us,  that  tl^y  were  men  of  quality  and  riches  only  that 
were  of  it. 

2nd.  The  second  point  of  the  Sudducees'  heresy  was 
about  freewill  and  predestination.  For  whereas  the  Es- 
senes  held  all  things  to  be  predetermined  and  fixed  in 
an  unalterable  concatenatioi"!  of  causes  never  to  be  varied 
from,  and  the  Pharisees  allowed  a  freewill  in  conjunction 
with  predestination  ;  the  Sadducees  differing  from  both, 
denied  all  manner  of  predestination  whatever,  their  doc- 
trine being,  that  God  had  made  man  absolute  master  of 
all  his  actions  with  a  full  freedom  to  do  either  good  or 
evil  as  he  shall  think  fit  to  chiise,  without  any  resistance 
to  him  for  the  one,  or  any  restraint  upon  him  as  to  the 
other.  So  that  whether  a  man  doeth  good  or  evil,  it  is 
wholly  from  himself,  because  he  hath  it  absolutely  in  his 
own  power  both  to  do  the  one  and  avoid  the  other.  In 
sum  they  held  the  same  doctrine  atnong  the  Jews,  that 
Pelagius  did  afterwards  among  the  christians,  that  is,  that 
there  is  no  help  from  God  either  of  his  preventing  grace 
or  his  assisting  grace,  but  that  without  any  such  help 
every  man  hath  in  himself  full  power  to  avoid  all  the 
evil,  which  the  law  of  God  forbids,  and  to  do  all  the 
good  which  it  commands.  And  therefore  looking  on  all 
men  to  have  this  power  in  themselves,  it  is  remarked  of 
them,  that  whenever  they  sat  in  judgment  upon  crimi- 
nals, they  always  were  for  the  severest  sentence  against 
them.  And  indeed  their  general  character  was,  that  they 
were  very  ill-natured,  churlish,  and  morose  in  their  be- 
haviour to  each  other,  but  cruel  and  savage  to  all  besides. 
Their  number  was  the  smallest  of  all  the  sects  of  the  Jews, 
but  they  were  men  of  the  best  quality,  and  the  greatcbt 
riches  among  them.  And  it  is  too  often  found,  that 
those  who  al)ound  most  in  the  things  of  this  world  arc 
the  forwardest  to  neglect  and  disbeiie\e  the  promises  of  a 


B.  C.  21.  of  the  Hull)  Bible.  169 

better.  All  those  that  were  of  the  greatest  power  and 
riehes  among  the  Jews  being  eut  ofl"  in  the  destruetion  ot* 
Jerusalem  by  the  Romans,  this  whole  tect  seems  then  to 
have  perished  with  them.  For  w^  find  no  mention  made 
of  them  as  a  sect  in  being  for  many  ages  after,  till  their 
name  was  revived  again  in  the  Karraites,  which  is  the 
next  sect  of  the  Jews,  that  we  shall  give  an  account  o(! 

III.  These  Karraites,  though  in  the  way  of  reproach 
tliey  are  called  Sitddueees  by  the  other  Jews,  yet  agree 
uith  them  in  nothing  else,  but  in  rejecting  all  tradiions, 
and  adhering  only  to  the  written  word.  Here  indeed  the 
Sadducees  lirst  began,  but  alterwards  went  further  into 
those  impious  doctrines  above  described,  which  the  Kar- 
raites have  not.  For  in  all  other  matters  they  agree  with 
the  other  Jews,  neither  do  they  absolutely  reject  all  tra- 
ditions, but  only  refuse  to  allow  them  the  same  authority, 
as  they  do  to  the  written  word.  They  are  content  to  ad- 
mit them  as  the  opinions  of  the  former  doctors,  as  human 
helps  for  the  interpreting  and  the  better  understanding  of 
the  written  word,  as  far  as  they  shall  find  them  conducive 
thereto,  but  not  to  equal  them  to  the  written  word  itself, 
which  all  the  other  Jews  do.  For  as  to  these  other  Jews  I 
have  shewn  in  the  former  part  of  this  history,  how  they 
hold,  that  besides  the  written  law,  there  was  also  given  to 
Moses  from  mount  Sinai  an  oral  law  of  the  same  authority 
with  the  former ;  under  this  latter  they  comprehend  all 
their  traditions,  and  therefore  think  themselves  under  the 
same  obligation  to  observe  them,  as  the  written  word  itself, 
or  rather  a  greater  For  they  observe  not  the  written  word 
any  otherwise  than  as  interpreted  by  their  traditions.  And 
therefore  having  in  process  of  time  gathered  all  these  tradi- 
tions into  that  voluminous  book  called  their  Talmud,  they 
required  the  same  deference  and  veneration  to  be  paid 
that  book,  as  to  the  Holy  Scriptures  themselves,  found- 
ing all  their  articles  of  faith  upon  its  dictates,  and  regu- 
lating their  practice  in  all  things  according  to  the  direc- 
tions and  precepts  that  are  therein.  This  book  was  pub- 
lished about  the  beginning  of  the  sixth  century  after 
Christ.  But  when  it  came  to  be  scanned  and  examined 
by  such  as  were  men.  of  s^nse  and  judgment  among  them, 

Vol.  ir.  -y 


170  A  Complete  History  B.  C.  21. 

they  not  being  able  to  concei\e  how  such  trash,  nonsense, 
and  incredible  fables,  as  they  found  heaped,  up  therein, 
could  come  from  God,  were  so  shocked  hereby,  that  they 
could  not  £^ive  up  their  faith  to  it;  but  reserving  that  wholly 
for  the  \vrinen  m  ord  of  God  (that  is  the  Law,  the  Prophets, 
and  the  Hagiographa)  receive  the  other  only  as  a  work  of 
human  composure  to  be  used  as  an  help  for  the  interpre- 
ting and  explaining  the  written  word  in  such  passages  of 
it,  where  it  should  be  found  conducive  thereto  ;  and  for 
some  time  their  dissent  on  this  point,  went  on  without 
making  any  breach  or  schism  among  them,  till  about  the 
year  of  our  Lord  seven  hundred  and  fifty.  But  then  Anan, 
a  Jew  of  Babylonia,  of  the  stock  of  David,  and  Saul  his 
son,  both  learned  men  in  their  way,  having  openly  declared 
for  the  written  word  only,  and  publickly  disclaimed  and 
condemned  all  manner  of  traditions,  excepting  such  alone 
as  agreed  thereu  iih,  this  soon  produced  a  rent  and  a  schism 
among  them,  so  that  they  became  divided  into  two  parties, 
the  one  standing, up  for  the  Talmud  and  its  traditions,  and 
the  other  rejecting  and  disowning  both,  as  containing  in 
their  opinion  the  inventions  of  men,  and  not  the  doctrines 
and  commands  of  God. 

IV.  But  the  greatest  sect  of  the  Jews  was  that  of  the 
Pharisees ;  for  they  had  not  only  the  Scribes,  and  all 
the  learned  men  in  the  law  of  their  party ;  but  they  also 
drew  after  them  all  the  bulk  of  the  common  people. 
They  differed  from  the  Samaritans  in  that  besides  the  law 
tliey  received  the  prophets,  the  Hagiographa,  and  the 
traditions  of  the  elders,  and  frOm  the  Saclducces,  differed 
not  only  in  these  particulars,  but  also  in  their  doctrines 
about  a  future  state  and  the  resurrection  of  the  dead,  and 
upon  predestination  and  freewill.  Yet,  it  is  hard  to  say, 
what  their  doctrine  was  as  to  this  matter ;  for  according 
to  Josephus  they  held  absolute  predestination  ^\ith  the 
Essenes,  and  freewill  with  the  Sadducees  jumbled  together. 
For  they  ascribed  to  God  and  flue  all  that  is  done,  and 
yet  left  to  man  the  freedom  of  his  will.  But  the  main 
distinguishing  character  of  this  sect  was  their  zeal  for  the 
traditions  of  the  Elders,  which  they  derived  from  the  same 
fountain  with  the  written  word  itself,  pretending  both  to 
have  been   delivered  to  Moses  from   mount   Sinai,  and 


i 


B.  C.  21.  of  the  IIolij  Bible.  171 

tlicrcfore  tliey  ascribed  equally  to  botli  the  same  authority. 
Tliese  men,  by  reason  oi"  their  pretences  to  a  more  nice 
and  rigoious  observance  of  the  law  according  to  their  tra- 
ditions, w  hich  they  had  superadded  to  it,  looked  on  them- 
selves as  more  holy  than  other  men,  and  thcrefoie separated 
themselves  from  those,  whom  they  tliought  sinners,  or  pro- 
fane, so  as  not  to  eat  or  drink  with  them ;  and  hence 
from  the  Hebrew  word  Pharaz,  \\hich  signifieth  toi  sepa- 
rate, they  had  the  name  of  Pharisees,  which  is  as  much  as 
to  say  Separatists. 

In  conjunction  witli  the  Pharisees,  the  Scribes  are  often 
mentioned  in  the  scriptures  of  the  New  Testanient.  But 
they  were  not  a  sect,  but  a  profession  of  men  following 
literature.  They  were  of  divers  sorts.  For  generally  all 
that  were  any  way  learned  among  the  Jews  were  in  the 
time  of  our  Saviour  and  his  apostles  called  Scribes,  but 
especially  those,  w  ho  by  reason  of  their  skill  in  the  law  and 
divinity  of  the  Jews,  were  advanced  to  sit  in  Moses's  seat, 
and  were  either  judges  in  their  Sanhedrims,  or  teachers  in 
their  schools  or  synagogues.  They  weixi  mostly  of  the 
sect  of  the  Pharisees.  The  learning  of  the  Jews  in  those 
times  lying  in  their  phapsaical  traditions,  and  their  way 
of  interpreting  (or  we  may  rather  say  wresting)  the  scrip- 
tures by  them.  And  they  being  the  men,  that  dictated 
the  law  both  of  church  and  state,  hence  lawyers  and 
Scribes  are  convertible  terms  in  the  gospels,  and  both  of 
them  do  there  signify  the  same  sort  of  men.  For  the  same 
person,  who  in  Matthew  xvii.  35,  is  called  a  lawyer,  is  in 
Mark  xii.  28,  said  to  be  one  of  the  Scribes. 

V.  But  how  rigorous  soever  the  Pharisees  pretended  to 
l)e  in  their  observances,  the  Essenes  out- went  them  herein. 
For  being  originally  of  the  same  sect  with  them  they  re- 
formed upon  them,  in  the  same  manner  as  among  the  Ro- 
manists, the  Carthusians  and  the  Cistertians  have  upon  the 
Benedictines,  and  set  up  for  a  much  more  severe,  and  per- 
chance for  a  much  more  unblameable  rule  of  living,  than 
the  other  did. 

Although  our  Saviour  very  often  censured  all  the  other 
sects  then  among  the  Jews,  yet  he  never  spake  of  the 
Essenes,  neither  is  there  any  mention  of  them  through  the 


172  J  Complete  History  B.  C.  21. 

wliole  scriptures  of  the  New  Testament.  This  proceeded, 
some  think,  from  their  retired  wa}'  of  living.  For  their 
abode  being  mostly  in  the  country  they  seldom  came  into 
cities,  nor  were  they  in  our  Saviour's  time  ever  seen  at  the 
the  temple,  or  in  any  public  assembly,  and  therefore  not 
falling  in  the  way  of  our  Saviour's  observation,  for  this  rea- 
son, say  they,  he  took  no  notice  of  them.  But  it  is  much 
more  likely,  that  being  a  very  honest  and  sincere  sort  of 
people  without  guile  or  hypocrisy,  they  gave  no  reason  for 
that  reproof  and  censure,  which  the  others  very  justly  de^ 
served.  Their  way  of  living  was  very  peculiai*  and  remark- 
able. 

They  had  riches  in  great  contempt ;  and  community  of 
goods  was  maintained  among  them  in  a  very  admirable 
manner ;  for  not  any  one  was  to  be  found  among  them  pos- 
sessing more  than  another,  it  being  a  fixed  rule  of  their  sect, 
that  every  one,  who  enters  into  it  must  give  up  all  his  goods 
into  the  public  stock  of  the  society,  so  that  among  the 
whole  numl:)er  none  could  be  found  lower  than  another  by 
reason  of  his  poverty,  nor  any  on  the  other  side  elevated 
above  the  rest  by  his  riches ;  for  every  man's  goods  being 
cast  into  the  common  stock,  they  were  all  enjoyed  as  one 
possession  among  brethren  in  the  same  family  for  each 
man's  ui;e. 

They  were  in  what  pertained  to  God  in  an  especial  man- 
ner religious.  For  before  the  sun  was  risen  they  spoke  of 
no  conmion  worldly  matter;  but  till  then  offered  up  unto 
God  their  prayers  in  ancient  forms  received  from  their 
predecessors,  supplicating  particularly  in  them,  that  he 
would  make  the  Sun  to  rise  upon  them. 

Tliere  was  another  sect  among  the  Jews  called  the  Hc- 
rodians,  having  its  rise  from  Herod,  kingof  Judea,  called 
Herod  the  Great,  mentioned  often  in  the  gospels.  Some 
say  it  was,  because  they  held  Herod  to  be  the  Messiah ; 
so  Tcrtullian,  Epiphanius,  St.  Jerom,  St.  Chrysostom, 
Theophylact,  and  seveial  others  of  the  ancients  held.  But 
it  is  very  improbable,  that  any  Jews  should  in  the  time  of 
our  Saviour's  ministry,  above  thirty  years  after  the  death 
of  Htrod  hold  him  to  have  been  the  Messiah,  when  thev 
had  found  no  one  of  those  particulars,  which  they  expect- 
ed from  the  Messiah,  performed  by  him,  but  rather  every 


B.  C.  21.  of  the  Holy  Bible.  173 

tiling'  quite  the  contrary.  By  what  is  mentioned  of  tliese 
Herochans  in  the  gospels,  tlicy  seem  ])lainiy  to  have  ix^en  a 
sect  >:mong  the  Jews  differing  iVom  tlie  rest  in  some  points 
of  tiieir  law  and  religion.  For  they  are  there  named  with 
the  Pharisees,  and  in  contradisiinciion  from  them,  and 
therefore  must  have  been  a  sect  in  the  same  manner  as  the 
Pharisees  were.  And  they  are  also  said  to  have  a  peculi- 
ar leaven,  as  the  Pharisees  had,  that  is,  some  false  and 
c\'il  tenets,  which  soured  and  corrupted  the  whole  lump, 
with  which  it  was  mingled ;  and  therefore  Christ  equally 
warned  his  disciples  against  both.  And  since  he  calieili 
it  the  leaven  of  Herod,  this  argues,  that  Herod  was  the 
author  of  it,  that  is  of  those  evil  tenets,  which  constituted 
this,  sect,  and  distinguished  it  from  the  other  sects  of  the 
Jews,  and  that  his  followers  imbibing  those  tenets  Irom' 
him  were  for  this  reason  called  Herodians.  And  these  be- 
ing chiefly  of  his  courtiers,  and  the  officers  and  servants  of 
his  palace,  and  those  that  were  descended  from  them, 
hence  the  Svriac  version,  wherever  the  word  Herodi:ins 
occurs  in  the  original,  renders  it  the  domestics  of  Herod. 
It  being  said,  Deut.  xvii.  ver.  15,  "  One  from  among  thy 
"  brethren  shah  thou  set  king  over  thee,  thou  mayest  not 
"set  a  stranger  over  thee,  which  is  not  thy  brother;" 
Iience  an  opinion, arose,  which  Mas  generally  embraced 
bv  the  Pharisees,  that  it  was  not  lawful  to  submit  to  the 
Roman  emperor,  or  pay  taxes  unto  him  ;  but  Herod  and 
his  followers  miderstanding  the  text  to  exclude  only  a 
voluntary  choice,  and  not  a  necessary  submission,  where 
force  hath  over-powered  choice,  were  of  a  contrar}^  opi- 
nion, and  held  it  lawful  in  this  case  both  to  submit  to 
the  Roman  emperor,  and  also  to  pay  taxes  to  him.  And 
therefore  the  Pharisees  and  the  Herodians  being  of  opinion 
in  this  matter  quite  contrary  to  each  other,  those  that  laid 
snares  for  Christ,  and  sought  an  occasion  against  him,  sent 
the  disciples  of  both  these  sects  at  the  same  time  together 
to  propose  this  captious  question  to  him.  Is  it  lawful  to 
give  tribute  unto  Caesar,  or  not  ?  thinking  which  way  so- 
ever he  should  answer  to  bring  him  into  danger.  For 
should  he  answer  in  the  negative,  the  Herodians  were 
there  ready  to  accuse  him  of  being  an  enemy  to  Cassar  ; 
iand  should  he  answer  in  the  afnrmutive,  the  Pharisees  Were 


174  A  Complete  History  B.  C.  21. 

as  ready  on  the  other  hand  to  accuse  him  to  the  people,  and 
excite  them  against  him,  iis  an  enemv  to  their  rights,  they 
having  possessed  them  with  this  notion  against  paying  tax- 
es to  any  foreign  power. 

The  Je\\'s  are  charged  in  some  instances,  of  having  cor- 
rupted their  scriptures,  and  omitted  or  altered  passages 
plainly  predictive  of  the  coming  of  Christ  since  our  Saviour 
was  upon  earth.  But  it  has  happened,  through  the  good  pro- 
vidence of  God,  tliat  some  of  their  most  ancient  writings, 
(besides  the  Scriptures)  to  which  they  give  with  an  obsti- 
nacy and  perverseness  not  easily  accounted  for,  an  equal 
degree  of  veneration  to  what  is  due  to  the  revealed  word 
only,  are  still  preserved,  and  aflbrd  unquestionable  evi- 
dence, that  many  of  the  prophecies  recorded  in  the  Old 
Testament,  are  applicable  to  Jesus  of  Nazareth  only.  That 
no  forced  construction  can  twist  them  so  as  to  mean  anv 
Other  ;  and  that  in  him  the  Great  Redeemer,  the  law  is 
fulfilled  for  righteousness  to  them  that  believe,  and  that  all 
the  types,  shadows,  and  ceremonies  of  the  Jewish  econo- 
mji  are  finished,  completed,  and  for  ever  done  away. 

The  Targums  or  paraphrases  were  made  for  the  use  and 
instruction  of  the  vulgar  Jews  after  their  return  from 
the  Babylonish  captivit3\  For  although  many  of  the 
better  sort  still  retained  the  knowledge  of  the  Hebrew 
language  during  that  captivity,  and  taught  it  their  chil- 
dren, and  the  Holy  Scriptures  that  were  delivered  after 
that  time,  excepting  only  some  parts  of  Daniel  and  Ezra 
and  one  verse  in  Jeremiah,  were  all  written  therein ;  yet 
the  common  people,  by  having  so  long  conversed  with 
the  Babylonians,  learned  their  language,  and  forgot  their 
own.  It  happened  indeed  otherwise  to  the  children  of 
Israel  in  Egypt.  For  although  they  lived  there  above 
three  times  as  long  as  the  Babylonish  captivity  lasted, 
yet  they  still  preserved  the  Hebrew  language  among 
them,  and  brought  it  back  entire  with  them  into  Canaan. 
The  reason  of  this  was,  that  in  Egypt  they  all  lived  together 
in  the  land  of  Goshen  ;  but  on  their  being  carried  captive 
by  the  Babylonians,  they  were  dispersed  all  over  Chaldea 
and  Assyria,  and  being  there  intermixed  with  the  people 
of  the  land,  had  much  intercourse  with  them,  and 
therefore   were  forced  to   learn   their  language,  and  this 


B.  C.  21.  of  the  Holy  Bible.  175 

soon  induced  a  disuse  of  their  own  amonGf  them.  Bv 
this  means  it  came  to  pass,  that  after  their  return,  the 
common  people,  especially  those  of  them  who  hisd  been 
bred  up  in  that  captivity,  understood  not  the  Holy  Scrip- 
tures in  the  Hebrew  language,  nor  their  posterity  aftci- 
them.  And  therefore  when  Ezra  read  the  law  to  the 
people,  he  had  several  persons  standing  by  him  well 
skilled  in  both  the  Chaldee  and  Hebrew  languages,  who 
interpreted  to  the  people  in  Chaldee  what  he  first  read 
to  them  in  Hebrew.  And  afterwards  when  the  method 
was  established  of  dividing  the  law  into  fifty-four  sec- 
tions, and  of  reading  one  of  them  every  week  in  tlieir 
synngogues  (according  as  hath  been  already  described) 
the  same  course  of  reading  to  the  people  the  Hebrew 
text  first,  and  then  interpreting  it  to  them  in  Chaldee, 
was  still  continued.  For  when  the  reader  had  read  one 
verse  in  Hebrew,  an  interpreter  standing  by  rendered  it 
into  Chaldee,  and  then  the  next  verse  being  read  in  He- 
brew, it  was  in  like  manner  interpreted  in  the  same  lan- 
guage as  before,  and  so  on  from  verse  to  verse  was  every 
verse  alternately  read  first  in  the  Hebrew,  and  then  in- 
terpreted in  Chaldee  to  the  end  of  the  section ;  it  was  this 
which  first  gave  occasion  for  the  making  of  Chaldee  ver- 
sions for  the  help  of  those  interpreters.  And  they  thence- 
forth became  necessary  not  only  for  their  help  in  the  public 
synagogues,  but  also  for  the  use  of  the  people  at  home  in 
their  families,  that  they  might  there  have  the  Scriptures  for 
their  private  reading  in  a  language  which  they  understood. 
Synagogues  having  mukiplied  among  the  Jews  beyond 
the  number  of  able  interpreters,  it  became  necessary  that 
such  versions  should  be  made  for  the  help  of  the  less 
al>le.  This  was  done  at  first  only  for  the  law,  because 
the  law  only  was  publicly  read  in  their  synagogues 
till  the  persecution  of  Antiochus  Epiphanes  ;  but  after 
that  time  lessons  being  read  out  of  the  prophets  in  those 
religious  assemblies,  as  well  as  out  of  the  law,  the  same 
reason  rendered  it  necessary,  that  Chaldee  versions  should 
be  made  of  these  Scriptures  also.  And  secondly,  the 
use  of  the  people  (which  was  the  other  reason  for  the 
composing  of  those  versions)  made  this  necessary  lor  all 
the  scripture,    as  well  as  for  the  law  and  the  prophets. 


176  A  Complete  History  B.  C.  21. 

For  all  scripture  being  given  for  our  edification,  all  ought 
for  uiis  end  to  have  them  in  a  lansruas:e  Avhich  thev  un- 
deistand.  For  when  God  gave  his  law  unto  Israel,  he 
enjoined,  thiit  they  should  have  his  commandments,  sta- 
tutes, and  judgments  always  in  their  hearts,  that  they 
should  meditate  on  them  day  and  night,  teach  them  their 
children,  and  talk  of  them,  when  they  sat  in  their 
houses,  and  when  they  walked  by  the  way,  and  when  they 
lay  down,  and  when  they  rose  up  ;  and  that  all  might  be 
the  better  enabled  to  perform  all  this,  it  v\'as  strictly  en- 
joined by  a  constitution  of  the  elders  from  ancient  times, 
that  every  man  should  have  by  him  at  home  a  copy 
of  the  Holy  Scriptures  fairly  written  out  either  by  his 
own,  or  if  he  could  not  write  himself,  by  some  other 
hand,  for  his  instruction  herein.  But  how  could  this  be 
done,  if  they  had  those  scriptures  only  in  a  language, 
which  they  did  not  understand  ?  It  v/as  necessary  there- 
fore, that  as  they  had  the  Hebrew  text  for  the  sake  of 
the  original,  so  also  that  they  should  have  the  Chaldee 
version  for  the  sake  of  helping  them  to  understand  it. 
Indeed  the  letter  of  the  law  which  commands  what  I  have 
here  mentioned,  extends  no  further  than  to  the  five  books 
of  Moses;  for  no  more  of  the  Holy  Scriptures  were  then 
written,  when  that  law  was  given  ;  and  also  the  consti- 
tution abovementioned,  which  was  superadded  by  the  el- 
ders, is  by  positive  words  limited  thereto.  But  the 
reason  of  the  thina:  extended  to  the  ^\hole  v\ ord  of  God. 
For  since  all  of  it  is  given  for  our  instruction,  we  arc  all 
equally  obliged  to  know  each  part  of  it,  as  well  as  the 
other.  And  therefore  this  caused,  that  at  length  the  whole 
scriptures  were  thus  translated  from  the  Hebrew  into  the 
Chaldean  lanoruaoe  for  die  sake  of  those  who  could  not 
otherwise  understand  them.  For  to  lock  up  from  the  peo- 
ple in  an  unknown  language,  that  word  of  God,  which  wa^ 
given  to  lead  them  to  everlasting  life,  was  a  thing  that  was 
not  thought  agreeable  either  to  reason  or  piety  in  those 
times. 

As  the  Targum  of  Onkelos  is  tiie  first  in  order  of  place, 
as  being  on  the  Pentateuch,  \\hich  is  the  first  i)art  of  the 
Holy  Scriptures;  so  we  think  it  is  not  be  to  doubted,  but 
that  it  is  the  first  also  in  order  of  time,  and  the  most  an- 


I 


B.  C.  21.  of  th€  Holy  Bible.  \Ti 

cicnt  that  was  written  of  all  that  arc  now  extant.  This 
Targum  of  Onkelos  is  rather  a  version,  than  a  paraphrase. 
For  it  renders  the  Hebrew  text  word  for  word,  and  for 
the  most  part  accurately  and  exactly,  and  it  is  by  much 
the  best  of  all  this  sort  And  therefore  it  hath  always  been 
had  in  esteem  among  the  Jews  much  more  than  all  the 
other  Targums,  and  being  set  to  the  same  musical  notes 
with  the  Hebrew  text,  it  is  thereby  made  capable  of  be- 
ing read  in  the  same  tone  with  it  in  their  public  assem- 
blies. And  that  it  was  accordinc^ly  there  read  alter- 
nately  with  the  text  in  the  manner  as  is  above  de- 
scribed, Elias  Levita  tells  us,  who  of  all  the  Jews  that 
have  handled  this  argument,  hath  written  the  moist  accu- 
rately and  fully  on  it.  For  he  sajs,  That  the  Jews 
holding  themselves  obliged  every  week  in  their  syna- 
gogues to  read  twice  that  Parashah  or  section  of  the 
law,  which  was  the  lesson  of  the  week,  (that  is  in  the 
Hebrew  original  first,  and  then  in  the  Chaldee  inter- 
pretation) made  use  of  the  Targum  of  Onkelos  for 
this  purpose ;  and  that  this  was  their  usage  even  down 
to  his  time  (which  was  about  the  first  part  of  the  sixteenth 
century.)  And  that  for  this  reason,  though  till  the  art 
of  printing  was  invented  there  were  of  the  other  Tar- 
gums scarce  above  one  or  two  of  a  sort  to  be  found  in  a 
whole  country  ;  yet  then  the  Targum  of  Onkelos  was 
every  where  among  them. 

The  next  Targum  to  that  of  Onkelos  is  the  Targum  of 
Jonathan  Ben  Uzziel  on  the  prophets,  which  is  next  it 
also  in  the  purity  of  its  style,  but  is  not  like  it  in  the 
manner  of  its  composition.  For  whereas  the  Targum  of 
Onkelos  is  a  strict  version,  rendering  the  Hebrew  text 
word  for  word,  Jonathan  takes  on  him  the  liberty  of  a 
paraphrast  by  enlargements  and  additions  to  the  text. 
For  therein  are  inserted  several  stories,  and  also  several 
glosses  of  his  own,  which  do  not  much  commend  his 
"vVork  ;  and  more  of  this  is  to  be  found  in  that  part  which 
is  on  the  latter  prophets,  than  in  that  which  is  on  the 
former.  For  in  that  latter  part  he  is  more  lax  and  pa- 
raphrast ical,  and  less  accurate  and  clear,  than  in  the  other. 
The  books  of  Joshua,  Judges,  Samuel,  and  Kings  are  cal- 

VoL.  U.  Z 


178  j1  Complete  Bis  tori/  B.  C.  21. 

led  the  former  prophets,  and  the  books  of  Isaiah,  Jeremiah, 
Ezekiel,  and  tlie  twelve  minor  prophets  the  latter. 

The  third  Targiim  in  the  order  above  mentioned  is  that 
on  the  law,  which  is  also  ascribed  to  Jonathan  Ben  Uzziel, 
But  tliat  it  is  none  of  his  is  sufficiently  proved  by  the  style, 
'\\hich  is  wholly  different  from  that,  wherein  is  written 
the  true  Targum  of  Jonathan  (that  upon  the  prophets, 
which  all  allow  to  have  been  his)  as  will  very  plainly  ap- 
pear to  all  such  as  shall  thoroughly  compare  them  together ; 
and  besides  its  enlargements  in  the  paraphrastical  way  by 
glosses,  fables,  prolix  explications,  and  other  additions,  are 
much  beyond  wliat  we  find  practised  by  Jonathan  in  that 
Targum  which  is  truly  his. 

That  the  Targums  of  Onkelos  on  the  law,  and  Jonathan 
on  the  prophets,  are  as  ancient  as  our  Saviour's  time,  if 
not  still  older,  is  the  general  opinion  of  both  Jews  and 
Christians  ;  the  Jewish  historians  positively  say  it.  For 
they  tell  lis  that  Jonathan  was  the  most  eminent  of  all  the 
scholars  of  Hillel,  who  died  about  the  time  that  our  Saviour 
was  born,  and  that  Onkelos  was  contemporary  with  Ga- 
maliel the  elder,  the  same  that  was  St.  Paul's  master,  and 
one  of  the  Jewish  sanhedrim. 

The  Targums  of  Onkelos  and  Jonathan  are  in  so  great 
esteem  among  the  Jews,  that  they  hold  them  to  be  of  the 
same  authority  with  the  original  sacred  text  ;  and  for  the 
support  of  this  opinion  they  feign  them  to  be  derived 
from  the  same  fountain.  For  they  say,  that  when  God 
delivered  the  written  law  imto  Moses  from  mount  Sinai, 
he  delivered  with  it  at  the  same  time  the  Chtildee  para- 
phrase of  Onkelos  in  the  same  manner,  as  they  say,  he 
then  did  the  oral  huv ;  and  so  that  when  bv  his  Holv 
Spirit  he  dictated  unto  the  prophets  the  scriptures  of  the 
prophetical  books,  he  delivered  severally  to  them  upon 
each  book  the  Targum  of  Jonathan  at  the  same  time. 
And  that  both  these  Targums  were  delivered  down  b^ 
tradition  through  such  faithful  hands,  as  God  by  his  pro- 
vidence had  appointed,  the  first  from  Moses,  and  the 
other  from  the  prophets  themselves,  who  Mere  the  wri- 
ters of  these  prophetical  books  till  at  length  through  this 
chain  of  traditional  descent  they  came  dow  n  to  the  hands  of 
Onkelos  and  Jonathan,  and  that  all  they  did  was  only  to 
put  them  into  writing. 


B.  C.  16.  of  the  Holy  Bible.  179 

Those  Targiims  arc  the  most  ancient  books  the  Jews 
liavc  next  to  the  Hebrew  Scriptures.  This  is  certain  oi" 
the  Targnnis  of  Onkelos  on  the  law,  and  of  Jonathan  on 
the  propliets :  and  altliough  the  others  are  of  a  later  date, 
yet  they  were  for  the  most  part  transcribed  and  com- 
posed out  of  other  ancient  glosses  and  Targums,  which 
were  in  use  long  before.  Such  we  have  shewn  they  had 
soon  after  the  time  of  Ezra  ;  but  these  being  written  in 
the  pure  Jerusalem  dialect  of  the  Chaldec  language  must 
in  those  times,  in  which  the  language  of  the  Jerusalem 
Talmud,  and  of  the  later  Targums  was  spoken,  be  as 
much  an  unknown  language  to  the  people,  as  formerly 
the  Hebrew  was  to  them  on  their  return  from  thcBabvlo- 
uish  captivity. 

They  are  all  of  them  of  great  use  for  the  better  under- 
standing not  only  of  the  Old  Testament  on  which  they 
are  written,  but  also  of  the  New.  As  to  the  Old  Testa- 
ment they  vindicate  the  genuineness  of  the  present  He- 
brew text  by  proving  it  the  same,  that  was  in  use,  when 
these  Targums  were  made,  contrary  to  the  opinion  of 
some  who  think  the  Jews  corrupted  it  after  our  Saviour's 
time.  They  help  to  explain  many  words  and  phrases  in 
the  Hebrew  original,  for  the  meaning  of  which  we  should 
otherwise  have  been  at  a  loss  ;  and  they  hand  down  to  us 
many  of  the  ancient  customs  and  usages  of  the  Jews, 
which  greatly  help  to  the  illustrating  of  those  Scriptures, 
on  which  they  are  written. 

They  also  very  much  serve  the  christian  cause  against 
the  Jews,  by  interpreting  many  of  the  prophecies  of  the 
Messiah  in  the  Old  Testament  in  the  same  manner  as  the 
christians  do,  and  we  shall  here  instaiice  some  of  them. 

Gen.  iii.  15,  God  said  unto  the  serpent,  *'  It  (that  is 
the  seed  of  the  woman)  shall  bruise  thy  head,  and  thou 
shalt  bruise  his  heel."  Christians  interpret  this  of  the 
Messiah  and  his  kingdom;  and  the  Jerusalem  Targuin 
and  that  called  Jonathan's  on  the  law  do  the  same. 

Gen.  xlix.  10.  Jacob  prophesieth  that  "  The  sceptre 
should  not  depart  from  Judah,  nor  a  lawgiver  from  be- 
tween his  feet,  until  Shiioh  should  come."  Christians 
understand  this  of  the  Messiah,  and  from  thence  prove 
against  the  Jews,  that  the  Messiah  must  according  to  this 


180  A  Complete  History  B.  C.  14. 

prophecy  of  him  have  been  long  since  come ;  because 
long  since,  that  is  for  many  ages  past,  there  hath  been 
no  regal  power  in  Judah,  no  prince  of  that  nation  ruling 
"vvith  the  sceptre  over  them ;  nor  any  from  between  their 
i'eet,  that  is  any  borii  of  that  people,  to  make  laws  or 
administer  justice  among  them,  and  because  for  many 
ages  past  the  whole  Jewish  polity  hath  intirely  ceased, 
and  they  have  no  where,  since  the  time  of  Jesus 
Christ  the  true  Messiah,  been  governed  by  their  own 
princes,  or  their  own  laws ;  but  every  where  by 
strangers,  and  the  laws  of  strangers,  among  whom  they 
have  lived.  The  Jews  to  evade  the  force  of  this  manifest 
argument  against  them  object,  first,  that  the  word  Shebet 
in  the  Hebrew  text,  which  we  interpret  a  sceptre,  the 
instrument  of  rule,  signifieth  also  a  rod,  which  is  the  in- 
strument of  chastisement,  and  therefore  sav,  that  though 
this  should  be  understood  of  the  Messiah,  the  meaning 
would  be  no  more  than  that  their  chastisement,  that  is 
the  banishment  which  tiiey  now  suffer  in  their  dispersions 
among  strange  nations:,  should  not  cease  (as  they  all  reck- 
on it  v.ill  not)  till  their  Messiah  shall  come  to  deliver  them 
from  it.  But  in  the  second  place  they  object,  that  they  dtf 
not  allow  that  the  Messiah  is  meant  bv  the  word  Shiloh  in 
this  prophecy.  But  in  both  these  particulars  the  Chaldee 
paraphrases  are  against  them.  For  the  words  of  Onkelos 
in  this  text  are,  *'  There  shall  not  be  taken  away  from  Ju- 
dah one  having  the  principality,  nor  the  scribe  from  the 
sons  of  his  children,  till  the  Messiah  shall  come."  And  the 
Jerusalem  Targum,  or  paraphrase,  and  that  called  Jona- 
than's  agree  with  him  in  bolh  these  particulars.  For  they 
both  interpret  Shebet,  of  the  principality,  and  Shiloh  of 
the  Messiah,  and  therefore  all  three  of  them  help  the  chris- 
tian cause  in  this  matter. 

Numb.  xxiv.  17.  Part  of  the  prophecy  of  Balaam  there 
recited,  is,  "  There  shall  come  a  star  out  of  Jacob,  and  a 
sceptre  shall  rise  out  of  Israel,  and  shall  bear  rule  over  all 
the  children  of  Seth."  The  Christians  interpret  this  of  the 
Messiah,  and  so  does  Onkelos  in  his  Targum  on  that  place, 
for  his  words  are,  "  A  king  shall  rise  out  of  the  house  of 
Jacob,  and  the  Messiah  shall  be  anointed  out  of  the  house 
pf  Isrutl,  who  shall  rule  over  all  the  sons  of  men."     And 


B.  C.  of  the  Holy  Bible.  181 

the  Targiim  called  Jonathan's  interprets  this  of  the  Mes- 
siah in  the  same  manner  also,  as  that  of  Onkclos  does  ; 
and  it  is  here  to  be  observed  that  the  Tari^umists 
rightly  render  this  phrase,  "  All  the  children  of  Selh," 
by  the  phrase,  "  All  the  sons  of  men."  For  all  the 
children  of  Seth,  since  the  flood,  are  the  same  with  all 
the  children  of  Adam,  and  these  are  all  men.  And  this 
shews,  that  according  to  this  prophecy  the  kingdom  of 
the  Messiah  was  not  to  be  a  peculiar  kingdom  for 
the  Jews,  but  universal  for  all  mankind.  And  agreea- 
bly hereto,  Maimonides  interprets  this  whole  text.  His 
words  are  as  follow :  "A  sceptre  shall  rise  out  of  Is- 
rael ;  this  is  the  king  Messiah  ;  and  shall  smite  the  cor- 
ners of  Moab  ;  this  is  David,  as  it  is  written  (2  Sam.  viii. 
2.)  and  he  smote  Moab,  &c.  And  he  shall  bear  rule 
over  the  children  of  Seth ;  this  is  the  king  Messiah,  of 
whom  it  is  written  (Psalm  Ixxii.  8.)  He  shall  have  domi- 
nion from  sea  to  sea,  and  from  the  river  to  the  ends  of  the 
earth."     In  Tract.  Melakin,  cap.  11.1. 

Isaiah  ix.  6,  7.  The  words  of  the  prophet  are,  "  Unto 
us  a  child  is  born,  imto  us  a  son  is  given,  and  the  go- 
vernment shall  be  upon  his  shoulder,  and  his  name  shall 
be  called  Wonderful,  Counsellor,  the  Mighty  God,  the 
Everlasting  Father,  the  Prince  of  Peace ;  of  the  increase 
of  his  government  there  shall  be  no  end,  upon  the  throne 
of  David,  and  upon  his  kingdom  to  order  it,  and  to  estab- 
lish it  with  judgment,  and  with  justice  from  henceforth 
even  for  ever."  Christians  all  hold  that  this  is  spoken  of 
the  Messiah,  and  Jonathan  in  the  Targum  which  is  truly 
his,  does  on  that  place  say  the  same. 

Isaiah  xi.  This  whole  chapter  the  Christians  understand 
to  be  of  the  Messiah,  and  the  peaceableness  and  happi- 
ness of  his  kingdom.  Jonathan  does  the  same  in  his  Tar- 
gum, and  in  it  twice  makes  mention  of  it,  that  is  on  the 
lirst  verse,  and  on  the  sixth. 

Isaiah  lii.  and  liii.  What  is  contained  in  these  two  chap- 
ters from  the  seventh  verse  of  the  first  of  them  to  the 
end  of  the  other,  is  all  a  continued  prophecy  of  the  Mes- 
siah. So  St.  John  in  his  gospel  xii.  38,  and  St.  Paul  to 
the  Romans,  x,   16,  teach  us,  and  so  all  Christians  hold, 


182  A  Complete  Bis  tori/  B.  C. 

having  such  authority  fur  it.     But  the  description  there 
given  of  a  suffering  Messiah  not  agreeing  with  the  no- 
tion which  the  Jews  have  of  him,  who  expect  a  Messiah 
reigning  in  temporal  pomp  and  power,  several  of  them 
reject  this  interpretation,  and  wrest  the  whole  prophecy 
to  other   meanings ;    some   of  them  understanding  it  of 
Josiah,  some  of  Jeremiah,  and  others  of  the  whole  peo- 
ple of  Israel.     But  the  Targum  of  Jonathan  interprets  it 
of  the  Messiah,  as  the  christians  do,  and  twice  within 
the   compass  of  the  prophecy   (that  is,  ch.    lii.    13,  and 
ch.    liii.   10,)  applies  it  to  him.     Jonathan    having  com- 
posed this  Targum  before  Christ's  time,  the  serving  of 
neither  party  can  be  supposed  then  to   have  influenced 
him  to  have  written  otherwise,  than  appeared  to  him  to 
be  the  plain  sense  of  the  passage,  and  that  this  prophecy 
can  be  understood  of  none  other  than  the  Messiah  is  ma- 
nifest from  the  whole  tenor  of  it,  and  it  is  as  manifest,  that 
it  was  all  completed  in  Christ  the  Lord.     And  therefore 
others  among   the   Jews  having  rightly  judged,  that  the 
wrestings  abovementioned  are  not  suflicient  to  baffle  the  true 
meaning  of  this  prophecy,  have  for  the  evading  it,  invent- 
ed another  device ;  that  is,  that  there  are  to  be  two  Mes- 
siahs, and  both  yet  to  come,  one  of  which  they  say  is  to 
be  of  the  tribe  of  Ephraim,  (and  they  therefore  call  him 
Messiah  the  son  of  Ephraim,  and  sometimes  Messiah  the 
son  of  Joseph)  and  the  other  of  the  tribe  of  Judah,  and  the 
lineage  of  David  ;  and  they  therefore  call  him  Messiah  the 
son  of  David.     The  first  of  these  (who  they  say,  will  be 
the  forerunner  of  the  other)  they  make  to  be  a  suffering 
Messiah,  and  tell  us  of  him,  that  he  is  to  fight  against 
Gos:,  and  having:  overcome  him  shall  afterwards  be  slain 
by  Armillus,  whom  they  hold  to  be  the  greatest  enemy 
that  shall  ever  appear  against  the  church  of  God  in  this 
world.     And  of  this  Messiah  the  son  oi  Ephraim  they  in- 
terpret all  that  is  foretold  in  the  Old  Testament  of  the  suf- 
ferings of  Christ  our  Lord,  especially  what  is   foretold  of 
him  in  this   prophecy  of  Isaiah,  and  in  that  of  Zechariah 
xii.  10,  in  which  last  they  interpret  the  words,  "  whom 
*'  they  have  pierced,"  of  his  being  to  be  pierced  and  run 
through  by  the  s\vord  of  Armillus,  when  he  shall  be  slain 


B.  C.  of  the  Holy  Bible.  185 

bv  him.  The  other  Messiah,  that  is,  Messiah  the  son  of 
David,  they  make  to  be  a  eonquering  and  reigning  Mes- 
siali,  that  shall  eonquer  and  kill  Armillus,  and  restore  the 
kingdom  of  Israel,  and  there  reign  in  the  highest  g\oYy  and 
felicity ;  and  of  him  they  interpret  all  that  is  said  in  the 
Scripturesof  the  Old  Testament  of  the  glory,  power,  and 
righteousness  of  Christ's  kingdom.  But  all  that  they  thus 
tell  us  of  their  twofold  Messiah  is  a  mere  fiction,  framed 
without  so  much  as  a  pretence  to  any  foundation  in  Scrip- 
ture for  it ;  a  pitiful  fetch  invented  only  to  evade  what  they 
cannot  answer  ;  and  their  being  forced  to  have  recourse  to 
such  a  wretched  shift  is  a  plain  giving  up  of  the  cause  they 
cannot  defend. 

Micah  V.  2.  The  words  of  the  prophet  are,  *' And  thou 
Bethlehem  Ephratah  shalt  be  chief  among  the  thousands 
of  Judah;  out  of  thee  shall  come  forth  unto  me  he,  that 
is  to  be  ruler  in  Israel."  This  is  the  true  translation  of 
the  Hebrew  text,  and  this,  all  christians  understand  of  the 
Messiah,  and  so,  anciently  did  the  chief  priests  and  Scribes 
of  the  people  of  the  Jews,  when  consulted  by  Herod.  But 
since  that  time,  in  opposition  to  the  gospel,  Jewish  wri- 
ters have  endeavoured  to  give  this  text  another  meaning, 
some  interpreting  it  of  Hezekiah,  some  of  Zerubbabel, 
and  some  otherwise.  But  Jonathan,  who  probably  was 
one  among  those  Scribes,  whom  Herod  consulted,  gives 
the  true  meaning  of  it  by  interpreting  it  of  the  Messiah,  in 
the  same  manner  as  Christians  do.  For  his  version  of  this 
texfis,  Out  of  thee  shall  come  forth  before  me 
THE  Messiah,  who  shall  exercise  Sovereign" 
RULE  OVER  Israel. 

Psalm  ii.  This  Psalm  the  Christians  interpret  to  be  a 
prophecy  of  the  Messiah,  and  hold  it  to  be  all  fulfilled  in 
our  Saviour  and  the  erection  of  his  kingdom  against  all 
opposition,  which  it  met  with  from  Jews  and  heathens, 
and  the  princes,  and  rulers  of  the  earth.  And  so  the  Ho- 
ly apostles  understood  it  of  old,  Acts  iv.  25,  26,  27,  and 
oil.  xiii.  33.  Hebrews  i.  5.  In  opposition  hereto  the  Jews 
apply  it  wholly  and  solely  to  David  himself,  and  will  al- 
low it  no  other  meaning  either  literal  or  typical,  but  what 
is  terminated  in  his  person.     But  the  Targum  is  on  our 


184  A  Complete  H'lstonj  B.  C* 

side,  for  it  interprets  this  Psalm  to  be  a  prophecy  of  the 
Messiah,  as  aii  Christians  do. 

Psaim  xlv.  This  Psahn  also  Christians  interpret  to  be 
of  the  Messiah,  and  they  have  for  it  the  authority  of  the 
holy  penman  of  the  epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  ch.  i.  ver.  8- 
In  opposition  hereto,  the  Jews  apply  it  wholly  and  solely 
to  Solomon,  and  will  alloAv  it  no  other  meaning  either 
literal  or  typical,  but  what  is  terminated  in  his  person, 
and  the  marriage  which  he  made  with  the  daughter  of 
Pharaoh  ;  but  the  Targum  is  on  our  side  in  this  matter, 
and  interprets  it  to  be  a  prophecy  of  the  Messiah,  as  all 
christians  do. 

Psalm  Ixxii.  This  Psalm  also  the  Jews  interpret  of  So- 
lomon ;  but  Christians  understand  it  as  a  prophecy  of  the 
Messiah ;  and  the  Targum  is  on  our  side  herein ;  for  it 
applies  it  to  the  Messiah  in  the  same  manner  as  we  do. 
Many  other  instances  might  be  produced  out  of  these  Tar- 
gums,  wherein  the  prophecies  of  the  Old  Testament  are 
illustrated  and  explained  for  the  advantage  of  the  Christian 
cause  against  all  opposers.  But  these  are  sufficient  to  give 
the  reader  a  taste  of  all  the  rest,  and  also  to  shew  how  use- 
ful these  Targums  may  be  to  a  Christian  Divine  in  all  con- 
troversies about  the  Messiah,  especially  against  the  Jews. 
For  these  Targums  being  their  own  books,  all  arguments 
taken  out  of  them,  if  any  thing  can  convince  that  obsti- 
nate people,  must  be  of  a  very  convincing  force  against 
them,  especially  when  they  are  out  of  the  Targums  of 
Onkelos  on  the  Law,  and  Jonathan  on  the  Prophets,  for 
these  they  hold  to  be  of  the  same  authority  with  the  sacred 
word  itself. 

Having  already  noticed  the  death  of  Herod,  and  the 
situations  filled  by  his  posterity,  it  is  necessary  to  remark, 
that  though  he  reigned,  during  his  lattei^  years,  in  appa- 
rent peace  and  tranquiiiity,  no  one  ever  sutfered  more 
than  he  did  from  the  confusions  and  disaflections  of  his 
own  family,  the  hatred  of  his  subjects,  and  the  contempt 
of  all  c:ood  men.  We  have  alreadv  drawn  his  character 
in  the  preceding  pages  in  a  few  words.  In  his  last 
moments  the  hand  of  God  was  evidently  upon  him ; 
the   diseases  of  his   body  and  the  torments  of  his  mind 


B.  C.  of  the  Holy  Bible.  185 

were  dreadful  beyond  all  conception.  The  image 
of  his  murdered  wife  and  her  innocent  children  were 
continunlly  before  his  eyes,  and  haunted  liis  gloomy 
and  aiiVighted  imagination  with  inconceivable  horrors. 
Throughout  his  whole  feign  he  possessed  great  activity 
both  of  body  and  mind,  and  this,  joined  to  an  unde- 
viating  perseverance,  carried  him  through  all  obstacles, 
and  enabled  him  to  attain  every  object  of  his  am- 
bition, avarice,  or  revenge.  In  gratifying  the  latter 
passion  no  man  ever  equalled  him.  Though  out* 
wardly  a  Jew,  and  for  political  convenience  an  occasional 
conformist,  he  was  throughout  his  whole  life  totally  des- 
titute of  religion.  Long  before  he  died,  the  seeds  of 
dissolution  of  the  Jewish  nation  and  government  were 
thickly  sown  and  universally  diffused.  We  have  glanced 
at  a  few  of  them  while  painting  the  monstrous  absurdities, 
profane  tenets,  and  hypocritical  pretences  of  the  leading 
sects  of  the  Jewish  people.  But  there  was  superadded 
to  all  these  an  almost  universal  laxity  of  all  moral  obli- 
gations, and  Judea,  long  before  the  death  of  Herod, 
swarmed  with  robebrs  and  assassins.  Many  of  these  He- 
rod had  put  to  death,  and  the  Roman  soldiers  stationed 
in  various  parts  of  the  country,  destroyed  them  by  hun- 
dreds, but  this,  instead  of  diminishing,  seemed  only  to 
increase  the  evil.  The  close  connexions  formed  by  the 
king  with  the  triumvir,  Mark  Antony,  and  his  frequent 
compliances  with  the  idolatrous  customs  of  the  Romans, 
gave  full  scope  to  the  hatred  of  the  Jews  against  him,  and 
some  colourable  sanction  to  the  opinion  which  began  very 
generally  to  prevail,  that  it  was  not  lawful  to  pay  tribute  to 
the  Romans.  This  absurd  idea,  under  the  assumed  garb 
of  patriotism,  contributed  in  no  small  degree  to  the  over- 
throw of  the  nation. 

In  his  public  buildings  and  founding  cities,  Herod  dis- 
played his  taste  and  magnificence  above  most  of  the  mo- 
narchs  of  his  time.  Having  built  CiEsarea  as  a  sea-port 
to  Jerusalem,  and  so  named  it  in  honour  of  his  friend  and 
benefactor  the  emperor  Augustus,  he  there  instituted 
games,  which  were  performed  every  five  years  in  imit:ition 
of  the  Olympic  Games,  and  consecrated  them  to  Cjcsar. 

Vol.  II.  A  a 


IB'G  J  Complete  Histonj  B.  C= 

In  the  isle  of  Rhodes  he  erected  a  rangn'i'ficent  temple  to 
Apollo,  and  gave  away  vast  sunns  wherever  he  travelled 
to  embellish  the  different  cities  of  Greece  and  Syria ;  for 
his  temper,  though  both  covetous  and  brutal  in  the  ex- 
treme, gave  way  on  all  public  occasions  to  that  passion, 
which  men  of  the  world  call  honoiu',  and  the  generality 
of  historians,  the  Love  of  Glory. — A  fatal  misnomer, 
which  has  misled  kings  and  conquerors  equally  astray  from 
their  own  real  ha))piness,  and  the  good  of  their  people,  and 
deluged  the  earth  with  human  blood  !  Not  long  before 
the  death  of  Herod,  his  eldest  son,  Antipater,  plotted 
against  his  life,  and  with  his  uncle  Pheroras  procured 
poison  to  dispatch  him.  This  villainous  design  was  kept 
a  profound  secret,  until  Pheroras  falling  sick  while  the 
poison  was  in  his  possession,  was  so  affected  at  the  sight 
of  Herod  when  he  came  to  visit  him,  that  feeling  some 
remorse,  he  directed  it  to  be  thrown  into  the  fire.  This 
was  accordingly  done  by  the  wife  of  Pheroras  ;  but  a 
small  part  of  it  was  kept  and  laid  by  for  her  own  use, 
should  the  tyranny  of  the  king,  which  all  of  his  fam.ily 
had  so  much  reason  to  dread,  and  she  in  particular, 
oblige  her  to  use  it.  Antipater  was  of  a  like  temper 
with  his  father  Herod,  and  had  he  not  been  cut  off  Dy 
the  just  hand  of  Providence,  he  would  in  all  human  pro- 
bability have  trod  in  his  steps,  and  equalled  him  in  cru- 
elty. But  his  career  was  now  almost  at  an  end,  and  his 
fall  affords  a  just  example  to  all  ages,  that  there  is 
nothing  however  secret,  that  can  be  hid  from  the  eye  of 
God.  He  had  been  the  principal  contriver  of  the  deatli 
of  his  two  brothers,  Aristobulus,  and  Alexander,  the  inno- 
cent sons  of  Mariamne,  for  no  other  reason,  but,  that 
they  were  on  the  mother's  side  descended  from  the  fa- 
mily of  the  Maccabees,  favourites  with  the  people,  and 
though  younger  than  himself,  yet  as  he  conceived, 
stood  in  his  way  to  the  crown.  The  death  of  his  unck 
Pheroras  brought  about  the  destruction  and  just  punish- 
ment of  Antipater  :  for  Herod  knowing,  that  the  people 
suspected  him  of  having  destroyed  his  brother  by  poison, 
caused  his  domestics  to  be  tortured  to  confess  the  circum- 
stances of  his  death,  and  while  in  agonies,  they  confessed 


B.  C.  of  the  Ilohj  Bible.  187 

tlie  m'and  secret  of  Antipater's    iiucntion  to   poison  the 
kins'  ]     TIk'  lormcr  was  then  at  Rome,  but  Ht-rod  f'carino- 
his  son    should   escape    him,    wrote   kind  and  eudcraring 
letters,  desiring  his  return  on  account  of  his  own  increas- 
ing age   and  infirmities,  carefully    concealing  from   liim 
his   knowledge  of   the   plot,   and  the  confession  of  Phe- 
roras's  wife,  who  when  apprehended,  threw  herself  from 
the  top  of  her  house,   but  being  taken  up   alive,  made  a 
full  confession  of  the  wliole  aflair,  and  produced  as  evi- 
dence  of  it    the   small   remains   of   the    deadly    ])otion 
which    she   had  reserved  when   Pheioras  ordered  her  to 
throw  it  into  the  fire.     Just  before  his  return  from  Rome, 
Antipatcr     endeavoured    to    inflame     his     father    Herod 
against   two  other   of    his    brothers*    then  in   that    city, 
to  which  they  had  been  sent  for  their  education.      Full  of 
hopes  that  his  endeavours  for  these  base  purposes  would 
remo\e    all  obstacles,  and  destroy  every  competitor  for 
the  throne,  he  set  out  for  Judea,  little  dreaming  of  the 
fate    which  there  awaited  him.     Being   unexpectedly  ar- 
rested, and  on  his  trial  confronted  with  his  own    servants, 
his  guilt  was  completely   proved,  and  he  suffered  death, 
by    a  just  sentence,  only  five  daj's  before  Herod  himself 
expired.     One  of  the  last  acts  of  that  merciless  tyrant's 
reign  was  of  so  monstrous  a  complexion,  as  would  shake 
the  credulity  of  the  present  age,  were  it  not  so  lully  at- 
tested by   the  Jewish   historian  Josephus  as  to  leave  no 
doubt  of  its  reality.     Aware  that  he  was  imiversally  hated 
by  die  Jews,  and  that  his  death  ^vhich  was  fast  approach- 
ing under  the  pressure  of  diseases  of  the   most  horrible 
and   painful  nature,  would  difilise  a  general  joy  instead 
of  mourning  for  his  loss,  he  fornaed  a  design  every  way 
worthy  of  such  a  tyrant,    and  the  destroyer  of  the  infants 
at  Bethlehem.     Having  suffered  beyond  all  that  can  be 
described,  devoured  while  alive  of  vermine,    and  rotting 
piece-meal   in  his  extremities,  he  went   toward  Jericho, 


*  Brothtrs.  One  of  these  was  Archelaus  who  succeeded  Herod  in  the  kingdom 
of  Judea.  He  is  particularly  mentioned,  Matt.  ch.  ii.  ver.  22.  After  having 
reigned  about  nine  years,  his  cruelty  and  tyranny  gave  such  offence  to  the  Romans^ 
that  they  deposed  and  banished  him  to  Vienne  in  Gaul,  where  he  died. 


188  A  Complete  History  B.  G. 

and  there,  when  near  his  end,  having  got  all  the  chiefs 
of  the  Jewish  nation  together,  under  penalty  of  death, 
he  shut  them  all  up  in  the  Hippodrome,*  and  then  send- 
ing for  his  sister  Salome,  a  woman  almost  as  wicked  as 
himself,  and  her  husband  Alexas,  he  earnestly  entreated 
them  that  as  soon  as  he  expired,  they  would  order  his 
soldiers  to  slay  every  one  of  those  unhappy  men,  that 
thus  the  whole  nation  of  the  Jews  might  be  forced  to 
mourn  at  his  death  !  This  they  were  obliged  to  promise, 
but  he  had  no  sooner  expired  than  they  were  released  from 
their  fears  and  confinement,  and  the  joy  of  his  death  was 
as  universal  as  the  terrors  and  hatred  of  the  people  had 
been  throughout  his  whole  life,  which  as  well  to  his  own 
family  as  his  people,  had  been  a  reign  of  terror.  But 
though  we  have  thought  proper  thus  to  notice  as  a  conclu- 
sion to  the  second  volume,  the  end  of  this  impious  and 
cruel  tyrant,  we  shall  in  the  succeeding  volume  resume  the 
narrative  of  events  connected  with  the  two  last  years  of  his 
life.  Events  the  most  stupendous  in  nature  ;  To  Man 
the  most  interesting:  To  God  the  most  glorious.  The 
baptism  of  repentance  by  John  ;  the  birth,  life,  death,  re- 
surrection and  ascension  of  the  GREAT  redeemer;  the 
establishment  of  the  Christian  church,  and  the  final  des- 
truction of  the  Jewish  state,  Avith  their  intire  dispersion 
and  ruin  as  a  people  and  nation. 


*  Mlppodrom  e.     The  place  for  the  horse  and  chariot  races . 


A 

COMPLETE 


HISTORY 


OF  THE 


3^oip  %mt. 


BOOK  THE  EIGHTH. 


Of  the  Birth  and  Infancy  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour 

^eSttS  «DI)rist 

X  H  E  wars  and  conquests  of  Alexander  the  Great,  and 
the  subsequent  division  of  his  extensive  empire  among 
his  captains  and  generals,  served  to  diffuse  the  knowledge 
of  the  Greek  language  univ^ersally  among  the  numerous 
nations  which  composed  his  dominions.  All  who  affected 
superior  civilization  and  refinement,  were  proud  to  pat- 
ronize, and  ambitious  to  possess  Grecian  literature,  and 
a  taste  for  the  fine  arts  of  that  elegant  but  corrupt  peo- 
ple. Greece,  during  the  struggle  for  power  which  dis- 
graced the  immediate  successors  of  the  first  Roman  em- 


190  J.  Complete  History  B.  C. 

peror,  fell  beneath  the  Roman  yoke,  and  her  arts  of  vo- 
luptuousness and  refinement  contributed  in  no  small  de- 
gree to  enervate  the  capital  of  the  world.  Idolatry  was 
every  where  triumphant,  and  licentious  manners  carried 
to  an  extent  hardly  credible  in  modern  times.  But  the 
eye  of  Providence  was  not  closed  during  this  awful  pe- 
riod of  general  depravity  ;  darkness  had  literally  covered 
the  earth,  and  gross  darkness  the  people,  and  the  abso- 
lute necessit}^  of  a  reformation  by  some  great  teacher,  or 
by  an  immediate  Revelation  from  heaven  was  so  necessa- 
ry, that  cvcFi  the  v/iscst  philosophers  of  Greece  and 
Rome  vi'erefull}'' persuaded,  that  nothing  short  of  super- 
natural means  were  sufficient  for  the  reformation  of  man- 
kind. 

A  kno\^■lcdge  of  the  Greek  language,  and  of  the  Sa- 
cred Scriptures  of  the  Old  Testament,  were  generally 
diffused,  through  the  munificent  liberality  of  the  Pto- 
lemys,  kings  of  Egypt,  who  had  caused  them  to  be 
translated  into  Greek,  which,  in  a  short  time,  greatly 
contributed  to  spread  the  knowledge  of  Christianity  when 
preached  to  the  dilTerent  nations  and  people,  who,  at  this 
time,  composed  the  Roman  empire.  The  period  was  fast 
approaching  when  the  great  Creator  of  the  world,  intend- 
ing to  iecover  mankind  from  that  fallen  and  miserable 
state  in  which  the  sin  of  their  first  parents  had  in- 
volved them,  was  about  to  perform  the  covenant  of  his 
promise  made  with  Adam,  that  the  "  Seed  of  the  wo- 
man should  bruise  the  serpent's  head"  by  sending  his 
Son  into  tbe  world,  that  he,  by  the  offering  up  of  himself 
once  for  transgressors,  might  thereby  make  a  full,  per- 
fect, complete  sacrifice,  oblation,  and  atonement  for 
the  sins  of  tlie  whole  world,  and  bring  in  an  ever- 
lasting righteousness.  Such  was  the  end  and  design  for 
which  the  glorious  redeemer  became  flesh  and  dwelt 
among  us ;  tinit  while  countless  millions  of  the  human 
race,  A  great  imdtitiide  which  no  man  could  7iumber, 
should  be  born  again  to  holiness  of  life,  to  happiness 
here,  and  eternal  felicity  in  the  world  to  come,  they 
should    o^ve  all    their   sahation  to    God   alone    through 


B.  C.  of  the  Holy  Bible.  191 

Christ,  and  that  he,  as  the  author  and  bestower  of  ever- 
lasting life  should  receive  all  the  glory.* 

In  taking  a  retrospective  view  of  the  various  empires, 
nations,  and  kingdoms,  Avhich  have  appeared  for  a  while 
upon  the  great  theatre  of  this  world,  and  have  then 
sunk  into  oblivion  to  rise  no  more,  their  progress,  and 
decline,  forcibly  arrest  our  attention,  excite  our  curi- 
osity, and  call  forth  our  compassion.  The  causes  of 
their  dissolution  are  easily  traced  both  in  profane  history 
and  the  sacred  pages  of  inspiration.  They  are  all  con- 
nected with  a  disregard  to  God  :  neglect  of  his  laws ; 
gross  idolatry  ;  and  corruption  of  manners.  Rome  having 
s^^■allowed  up  all  that  part,  or  the  greater  portion  of  it 
which  had  constituted  the  three  first  great  empires,  the 
Assvrian  or  Babvlonian,  the  Medo-Persian,  and  the  Gre- 
cian,  was,  in  the  midst  of  all  her  conquests,  wholly  inca- 
pable of  reforming  the  morals  or  purifying  the  manners  of 
her  subjects,  but  on  the  contrary,  rather  gave  a  sanction 
to  all  those  corruptions  which  had  already  brought  destruc- 
tion upon  the  nations  of  antiquity  ! 

Many  of  those  nations  and  kingdoms  once  so  great 
and  flourishing,  have  not  only  disappeared,  but  even 
their  names,  and  all  remembrance  of  them  must  have 
perished,  had  they  not  been  preserved  in  the  historical 
j-ecords  of  scripture.  In  them  we  behold,  however,  the 
Hiding  splendor  of  all  human   glory,    and   an   abridged 


*  Gloxy.     "  Its  blest  effects  low  reaching  to  the  earth ; 
Its  tow 'ring  summit  lost  beyond  the  thought 
Of  man  or  angel ! 


The  ransom  was  paid  down  — — — — 
All  price  beyond  :  tho'  curious  to  compute, 
Archangels  fail'd  to  cast  the  mighty  sum  ! 
Its  value  vast,  ungrasp'dby  minds  create, 
For  ever  hides,  and  glows  m  the  Supreme." 


192  A  Complete  liistorif  B.  C. 

picture  of  every  thing  wliicli  the  world  calls  great.* — 
Brilliancy  of  taste,  eminence  of  genius,  the  glory  of  arms, 
extent  of  dominion,  the  perfection  of  arts  and  sciences^ 
ability  to  govern,  the  powers  of  eloquence  ;  and  in  those 
who  possessed  all  these ;  what  powerful  and  glorious 
kings !  what  renowned  statesmen !  what  sage  philoso- 
phers I  what  wise  magistrates  !  what  admirable  legisla- 
tors. In  many  of  them,  how  much  have  we  been  led  to 
admire  their  ardent  zeal  for  justice  ;  their  passionate  love 
of  their  country  ;  their  generous  contempt  of  riches  ; 
and  not  unfrequently  their  esteem  of  poverty  !  Such  vir- 
tues astonish  us  not  a  little,  so  much  do  they  appear 
above  the  level  of  human  nature.  In  this  manner  we 
think  and  judge  ;  but  while  we  thus  gaze  and  admire,  the 
Supreme  ruler  \a  eighs  in  his  righteous  and  unerring  ba- 
lance these  supposed  brilliant  virtues,  gives  them  their 
due  degree  of  estimation,  s^es  nothing  in  them  but  what 
is  trifling,  mean,  and  unsubstantial,  full  of  pride  and  os- 
tentation, and  with  the  finger  of  truth  and  justice  writes 
VANITY  upon  them  all ! 

Whilst  mankind  are  continually  busied  in  perpetu- 
ating the  power  of  their  flimilies ;  in  heaping  up  riches ; 
founding  kingdoms ;  or,  by  unjust  wars  and  conquests, 
endeavouring  to  eternize  their  names  to  future  ages, 
God,  who  sees  from  everlasting  to  everlasting,  overthrows 
their  vain  and  impious  projects,  and  from  the  heighth  of 
his  eternal  throne,  makes  even  their  ambitious  de- 
signs subservient  to  his  own  all-wise  purposes,  even 
contrary  to  their  \\'ishcs,  and  the  powers  of  their  own 
understandings.  As  all  ages  past  and  to  come  are  equally 
present  to  his  view,  and  as  the  rise,  progress,  fate,  and  du- 
ration of  all  empires  depend  upon  what  he  has  assigned 
them,  so  we  may  be  assured  that  nothing  ever  has  happened, 
or  can  happen,  by  chance  ;  and  as  the  great  purpose  which 
he  had  in  view  when  he  created  all  worlds,  was  a  moral 
end  ;  and  in  respect  to  man,  his  ovsU  glory  and  the  final 
happiness  of  the  Jiuman  race,  so  we  may  be  assured,  that 
however  clouds  and  darkness  are  lound  about  the  dispen- 


*  Great.  SeeRollin,vol.  10. 


B.  C.  of  the  Holy  Bibh:  193 

sations  of  ills  providence,  righteousness  and  justice  ever 
liave  been,  and  will  be  the  habitation  of  his  throne. 

The  coming  of  the  Mcs-iah  was  predicted  in  the  wri- 
tings of  the  Jewish  j^rophcts,  and  the  nature  of  his  peace- 
able kingdom  and  extensive  conquests  plainly  pointed 
out.  Among  others,  Daniel  in  his  prophetic  and  ex- 
pressive vision  saw  a  great  mnage,  the  emblem  of  earthly 
power  and  dominion,  w  ith  ,a  head  of  gold,  but  of  a  ter- 
rible aspect  :  its  breast  and  arms  of  silver  ;  the  belly  and 
thighs  of  brass,  and  the  legs  and  feet  composed  of  he- 
terogeneous materials  so  descriptive  of  the  instability  of 
all  earthly  power,  iron  and  potters'  clay  !  God  thus 
thought  fit  to  represent  the  four  great  empires  of  the 
world  which  had  severally  their  rise,  progress,  decline  and 
fall,  previous  to  the  comiugof  Christ,  uniting  in  this  great 
and  terrible  image,  all  that  was  glorious,  grand,  powerful, 
and  unstable. 

Let  us  next  mark  with  attention  the  means  by  w  hich 
this  colossus  was  overthrown  ! — "  I  saw  and  beheld,  and 
*'  lo  !  a  small  stone  was  cut  out  without  hands,  which 
"  smote  the  image  upon  his  feet  that  were  of  iron  and 
"  clay,  and  brake  them  to  pieces.  Then  were  the  iron, 
the  clay,  the  brass,  the  silver,  and  the  gold  broken  to 
pieces  together,  and  became  like  the  chaff  of  the  sum- 
mer threshing  floor,  and  the  wind  carried  them  away, 
••  th,;t  no  place  was  found  for  them  ;  and  the  stone  that 
^'  smote  the  image  became  a  great  mountain  and  filled  the 
'•  whole  earth." 

The  world  has  already  seen  in  part  the  accomplishment 
of  this  wonderful  prophecy.  Christ,  the  long  predicted 
MESSIAH,  in  whom  all  the  nations  of  the  earth  should  be 
blessed,  descending  by  the  flesh  from  the  seed  of  Da\id, 
rises  like  a  plant  out  of  the  dry  ground,  undistinguished 
b}^  earthly  pomp,  and  coming  in  the  gracious  fulfilment 
of  Heaven's  designs,  to  establish  a  kingdom,  not  of  this 
world,  but  one  that  sh,iU  stand  forever.  His  work  and 
mission  are  to  establish  a  kingdom  which  shall  never  be 
destroyed.  "  He  came  to  his  own," — the  proud  and  foolish 
J.nvs,  "  but  his  own  received  him  not."  Despised  and  re- 
jected of  men,   a  man  of  sorrows,  and  acquainted  with 

VcL.  \h  B  b 


194  A  Complete  History  B.  C. 

grief,'  he  hath  seen  of  the  travail  of  his  soul  which  was 
poured  out  unto  death,  and  justified  many.  The  everlast- 
ing gohpel  goes  forth  conquering  and  to  conquer,  fulfil- 
ling the  prophecy  of  the  royal  Psalmist,  "  The  heathen 
shall  be  given  him  for  his  inheritance,  and  the  uttermost 
parts  of  the  earth  for  his  possession"  till  his  kingdom  shall, 
by  bringing  the  hearts  of  men  to  a  conformity  with  the 
Divine  image,  prevail  universally,  and  all  nations  fall  down 
and  worship  him. 

Clothed  with  human  nature,  Jesus  Christ  has  esta- 
blished a  kingdom  over  the  minds  of  millions  of  tlie  hu- 
man race,  which  from  the  smallest  beginnings,  and 
founded  in  apparent  weakness,  continues  to  enlarge  it- 
self on  every  side.  After  overturning  Pagan  idolatry 
enthroned  in  the  Capital  by  the  side  of  the  Caesars  ;  de- 
fying the  rage  of  persecution,  and  the  arguments  of  phi- 
losoph}^,  all  combined,  but  in  vain,  to  destroy  it  in  its 
birth,  it  efi'ects  a  revolution  in  the  Roman  empire  the 
most  singular  recorded  in  history.  Wholly  unaided  by, 
and  in  direct  opposition  to  the  civil  power,  the  biin- 
ner  of  the  cross,  in  the  short  space  of  three  hundred 
years,  flies  triumphant  from  the  shores  of  Africa  to  the 
Baltic  Sea,  and  from  Asia  Minor  to  the  British  Isles.  An- 
cient prophecies  are  fully  and  literally  accomplished  ;  and 
while  states  and  empires  pass  away  with  incredible  cele- 
rity, and  the  human  race,  intent  only  upon  the  present  scene, 
are  drawn,  one  generation  after  "another,  into  the  vortex  of 
eternity  without  perceiving  it,  God  is  establishing  an  order 
and  disposition  of  things  in  the  world,  and  setting  up  a 
kingdom  diverse  from  all  other  kingdoms,  and  tl"iat  shali 
stand  for  ever. 

The  historical  part  of  the  New  Testament  is  contained 
in  the  four  gospels,  and  deservedly  claims  our  high 
esteem,  as  conveying  to  us  the  blessed  tidings  of  our  re- 
covering that  happy  state  forfeited  by  our  first  pa- 
rents in  Paradise.  All  those  excellencies  which  in  ge- 
neral belong  to  the  Old  Testament,  may  in  a  more  pecu- 
liar manner  be  claimed  by  the  New  ^  for  as  St.  Augustin 
says,  I.  1.  de  Consens,  Evang.  c.  1.  "  What  the  law  and 
"'  the  prophets  only  foretold,  the  gospel  plainly  demon- 


B.  C.  of  the  Holy  Bible.  195 

*'  strates  to  ha\e  been  completed."  If  therefore  ]good 
nnd  holy  men  imder  the  dispensation  of  the  law,  which 
was  but  a  shadow  of  w  hat  has  since  come  to  pass,  were 
encouraged  to  undergo  the  severest- persecutions,  in  hopes 
of  a  reward  to  come,  what  greater  encouragement  had 
the  saints  under  the  gospel  to  suftbr,  when  the  reward 
was  gone  before  them  ?  From  hence  the  church  in  all 
ages  has  deri\'ed  advantage ;  and  hence  the  mart}rs  in 
the  midst  of  their  agonies  took  courage,  looking  up  to 
the  Author  of  their  hope.  Thus  the  protomartyr,  St.  Ste- 
phen, when  stoned  to  death,  was  comforted  with  a  sight 
of  the  Son  of  God.  Hence  the  holy  apostles,  and  the 
rest  of  our  Saviour's  followers,  enforced  the  doctrines  of 
their  Loid,  not  from  the  distant  relations  of  others,  but 
from  tlie  more  immediate  dictates  of  his  mouth,  whence 
by  a  sacred  and  certain  tradition  they  have  been  handed 
down  to  these  times.  From  hence  in  times  of  persecu- 
tion and  infidelitv,  we  are  secure  in  the  establishment  of 
our  faith,  and  completely  furnished  with  arguments  and 
instructions  against  the  most  plausible  errors.  From  our 
Saviour's  more  immediate  example,  we  learn  humility 
and  meekness,  who,  though  the  Son  of  God,  condescend- 
ed to  the  low  condition  of  humanity.  From  him  we 
learn  patience  in  adversity,  and  equanimity  in  the  most 
elevated  state  of  life  :  and  whatever  blemishes  by  the 
corruptions  of  nature  may  stain  our  profession,  his  word 
is  our  rule  and  guide  tq  set  us  right  again,  and  restore 
religion  to  its  primitive  purity.  For  this  reason  our 
blessed  Lord  expressly  calls  himself  the  Light  of  the 
World ;  of  which  his  holy  gospel  is  the  happy  vehicle  to 
convey  it  to  mankind,  which,  till  his  incarnation,  sat  in 
darkness.  And  hence  the  royal  prophet  Isaiah,  foretelling 
his  coming,  says,  "  The  people  that  walked  in  darkness 
"  have  seen  a  great  light,  and  they  that  dwelt  in  the  land  of 
"  the  shadow  of  death,  upon  them  hath  the  light  shined, 
"  Isa.  ix.  2."  Which  is  literally  completed  in  the  deliver- 
ance of  the  world  by  Christ,  through  the  preaching  of  the 
gospel. 

From  the  superior  excellence,  therefore,  of  this  light 
which  the  gospel  conveys  to  us,  the  Scriptures  of  the 
New  Testament  have  acquired  such  reverence  and  vene- 


196  J  Complete  History  B.  C 

ration,  that  the  masters  of  the  world,  in  the  earhest  iiges 
of  the  church,  thought  them  worthy  their  highest  care 
and  esteem.  Constantine  the  Great,  had  the  gospels 
bound  up  in  a  cover  of  gold,  set  with  most  valuable 
jewels.  Theodosius  the  emperor,  transcribed  the  gospels 
Avith  his  own  hand,  and  spent  great  part  of  every  night  in 
reading  them.  The  general  councils  of  Nice,  Ephesus, 
and  Chalcedon,  placed  the  book  of  the  gospels  in  the 
midst  of  their  assemblies,  as  Nicephorus  tells  us,  1.  4. 
c  3,  and  Cyril  of  Alexandria,  who  lived  in  the  begin- 
ning of  the  fifth  century,  teils  us,  It  was  by  synodical 
sanction  ordained,  that  in  all  solemn  attestations  they 
ivere  to  lay  their  hand  on  the  book  of  the  gospels,  and  in- 
voke tiie  help  of  God;  which  solemnity  is  continued  to 
this  day,  when  any  one  is  obliged  to  take  an  oath.  Nor 
was  this  only  observed  among  the  orthodox,  but  when 
through  neglect  of  discipline  and  the  depravity  of  morals, 
error  crept  into  the  church.,  t\€n  hereticks  paid  the  same 
respect  to  the  gospels,  who,  though  they  expunged  some 
books  out  of  the  canon  of  Scripture,  and  mutilated  others, 
^  never  offered  by  any  sacrilegious  attempt  to  touch  or 
violate  the  gospels ;  nay,  in  so  great  an  esteem  were 
they  among  the  heathens,  that  St.  Augustin  affirms  de 
Civitate  Dei,  1.  10,  c  29,  that  he  had  seen  the  begin- 
ning of  St.  John's  gospel  among  the  writings  of  the  Pia- 
tonists.  Hence  theologians  of  all  ages  have  deservedly, 
and  with  a  general  consent,  styled  this  part  of  the  Holy 
Scripture  most  necessary  and  useful ;  and  truly,  if  we 
have  repect  to  the  subject- matter,  authors,  and  method  or 
inanner  of  them,  we  shall  see  those  epithets  justly  appro- 
priated  to  the  writings  of  the  New  Testament,  and  to  the 
gospeils  particularly. 

As  to  the  subject-matter,  it  is  from  God  himself; 
for  the  E\'angelists  fully  relate  to  us  the  discourses  and 
actions  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  hath  clearly  di- 
rected us  what  man  is  to  believe,  and  what  we  are  to 
practise;  who  hath  set  before  us  eternal  life,  and 
^ihewn  us  how  we  may  certainly  obtain  it ;  who  hath 
instructed  us  into  the  nature  of  faith,  hope  and  love  ;  the 
mysterious  doctrine  of  the  'JVinitv,  and  the  observation  of 


of  the  Holy  Bible.  197 

the  lioly  saciamtnts ;  painting  virtue  to  us  in  its  most 
amiable  aspect,  and  describing  vice  in  its  movSt  horrid 
appearances  and  consequences ;  so  that  St.  Jerome  very 
aptly  calls  the  gospels,  the  Compendium  of  Theology, 
and  of  cliristian  life  and  learning. 

The  author  is  no  other  than  the  Divine  Wisdom  who 
chiefly  speaks  and  acts  in  all  the  grand  occurrences  of  the 
gospel :  for  befoic,  as  the  apostle  to  the  Hebrev>'s  says^ 
ch.  i.  ver.  1,  2,  "  God,  who  spake  to  our  fathers  by 
"  the  proj)hets,  hath  in  these  latter  days  spoken  unto  us 
"  by  his  Son,  whom  he  hath  made  heir  of  all  things,  and 
"  by  whom  he  made  the  world."  So  that  not  Moses  or 
the  prophets,  but  the  only  begotten  Son  of  God,  hath  by 
the  divine  mind  of  the  Father  discovered  to  us  the  secrets 
of  the  eternal  wisdom,  and  commtmicated  them  to  us  in 
the  holy  gospels  ;  in  wliich  those  sacred  mysteries,  con^ 
ceaied  from  ancient  times,  and  barely  shadowed  out  in 
the  typical  expressions  of  the  law  and  the  prophets,  arc 
plainly  manifested. 

The  method  or  manner  of  speaking  and  reasoning  in  the 
Holy  Gospels  is  truly  admirable  ;  for  the  elegance  of  the 
metaphors,  the  aptness  of  the  similitudes,  and  significaney 
of  the  parables  are  such,  as  evince  their  superiority  to 
every  human  writer,  and  are  woithy  of  the  Son  of  God; 
At  one  time  he  compares  himself  to  a  king,  celebrating 
tlie  nuptials  of  his  son ;  at  another  time  to  a  great  man 
calling  his  servants  to  an  account;  now  to  a  general  waging 
war,  then  to  a  master  of  a  family,  a  husbandman,  a  shep- 
herd, a  fisherman,  or  a  merchant.  In  all  which,  the  com, 
parisons  are  so  proper,  that  in  the  gospel  we  may  be  said 
to  be  instructed  as  much  by  the  acts,  as  by  the  words  of 
Christ:  and  St.  Gregory  observes,  that  every  action  of 
Christ  is  for  our  instruction  ;  but  the  Evangelical  History 
claims  ai\other  excellency  :  for  it  is  so  disposed  by  the 
Holy  Ghost,  that  the  most  simple  and  ignorant  are  not 
destitute  of  advantage  in  reading  it ;  and  at  the  same  time 
there  are  depths  and  mysteries  sufficient  to  exercise  the 
powers  of  the  greatest  mind.  It  is  indeed  plain  and  easy  to 
the  sincere,  humble,  and  teachable ;  but  to  the  confident, 


198  A  Complete  History 

proud,  and  indolent,  difficult  and  obscure.  "  I  thank 
"  thee,  says  our  blessed  Lord  to  the  Father,  because  thou 
*'  hast  hid  these  things  from  the  wise  and  prudent,  and 
•*•  hast  revealed  them  to  babes,  Matt.  xi.  25."  But  the 
excellence  of  the  gospel  will  yet  appear  more  conspi- 
cuously, if  we  draw  a  parallel  between  it  and  the  law. 

I.  The  promulgator  of  the  law  was  Moses,  a  mere 
man ;  but  the  author  of  the  gospel  was  Jesus  Christ,  both 
God  and  man.  The  law  indeed  was  ordained  by  the  mi- 
nistry of  angels  in  the  hand  of  a  mediator,  who  was  Mo- 
ses, the  mediator  between  God  and  the  Israelites  ;  but 
Jesus  Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  first  promulged  the  gospel 
with  his  own  mouth.  The  apostle  to  the  Hebrews,  ch.  i. 
ver.  2,  &c.  shews  the  disparity  between  Christ  and  Moses: 
"  Christ  being  the  brightness  of  his  glory,  and  the  express 
■ '  image  of  God's  person,  and  sustaining  all  things  by  the 
"  word  of  his  power,  sitteth  at  the  right  hand  of  the  ma- 
*'jesty  on  high;  and  is  made  so  much  more  excellent 
"  than  they :  for  unto  which  of  the  angels  said  he 
*'  at  any  time,  Thou  art  my  son,  this  day  have  I  begot- 
*'  ten  thee  ?"  And  to  shew  how  much  inferior  Moses  was 
to  Christ,  chap.  iii.  ver.  3,  *'  He  is  counted  worthy  of 
"  greatei'  glory  than  Moses,  as  the  builder  of  a  house  is 
"  more  honoured  than  the  house."  And  ver.  5,  6,  "  Mo- 
**  ses  truly  xvas  faithful  in  all  his  house  as  a  servant,  for  a 
*'  witness  of  those  things  v\'hich  should  be  done  hereafter ; 
"  but  Christ  as  the  Son  of  God  in  his  own  house."  The 
angels  indeed,  as  ministering  spirits,  were  the  first  pub- 
lishers of  the  gospel,  in  the  messages  of  Gabriel  the 
archangel  to  the  Virgin  Mary,  and  to  Zacharias,  the  fa- 
ther of  John  Baptist ;  but  Christ  himself  was  the  founder 
of  it :  wherefore  he  clothed  his  divinity  with  our  flesh, 
through  which  he  dictated  to  us  the  words  of  his  gos- 
pel. "  The  law,  says  St.  John,  "  chap.  i.  ver.  17,  wa^ 
"  given  by  Moses,  but  grace  and  truth  came  by  Jesus 
•'  Christ."  So  that  all  authorities  both  of  the  Old  and 
New  Testament  do  agree,  that  Christ  being  the  author 
of  the  gospel,  it  is  justly  entitled  his  gospel,  and  may 
not  be  improperly  called  the  Book  of  Christ,  in  which 


of  the  Iloli/  Bible.  199 

with  his  own  mouth  he  declared  more  noble  and  sublime 
truths  than  Moses  and  the  prophets.  Wherelbre  when 
we  read  or  hear  the  holy  gospel,  we  may  be  said  to  read 
or  hear  the  very  express  word  of  the  Son  of  God  him- 
self; which  thought,  in  the  most  early  ages  of  Christia- 
nity, created  such  an  awe  and  reverence  in  all  the  faith- 
ful, that  when  the  gospel  was  read  in  the  church, 
the  whole  congregation  rose  up  in  profound  respect  to 
it. 

But  to  carry  tlit  parallel  yet  higher,  the  doctrine  of  the 
gospel  far  exceeds  what  we  find  in  Moses  and  the  law. 
The  law  proposes  one  God  to  be  believed  and  worshipped 
by  us  ;  but  the  gospel,  one  God  in  essence,  and  three  in 
person  to  be  loved  and  adored  :*  "  Go,  says  our  Lord, 
"  and  teach  all  nations,  baptizing  them  in  the  name  of 
"the  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost,  Matt,  xxviii.  19." 
The  prophets  foretold  the  birth,  life,  passion,  and  ascen- 
sion of  Christ ;  the  mission  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  the  reco- 
very and  conversion  of  the  Gentiles :  but  the  gospel  far 
more  clearly  declares  the  prescience,  providence,  omni- 
potence, and  infinite  love  of  God.  "  No  man  hath  seen 
'•  God  at  any  time,  but  the  only  begotten  Son,  who  is  in 
**  the  bosom  of  the  Father,  he  hath  declared  him,"  saith 
St.  John,  ch.  i.  ver.  18.  That  is,  Christ  leaving  his  im- 
mortal state  for  a  while,  condescended  to  the  condition  of 
mortality,  that  he  might  discover  to  us  the  secrets  of  the 
Father,  which  were  knoAvn  to  him  alone.  For  which 
cause,  St.  Paul  in  his  instructions  to  Timothy,  Epist.  k 
c.  3,  ver.  16,  says,  "  Great  is  the  mystery  of  godliness; 
*'  God  was  manifested  in  the  flesh,  justified  in  the  Spirit, 
**  seen  of  angels,  preached  to  the  world,  and  received  up 
'*  into  glory." 

Moreover,  the  laAV  is  as  the  shadow;  but  the  gospel, 
the  body,  and  very  truth  itself.   Thus  the  acts  of  the  patri- . 
archs,  the  oracles,  and  all  the  visions  of  the  prophets  j 
the  sacrifices,  ceremonies   and  decrees  of  the  lav.%  which 
received  their  sanction,  by  the  blood   of  animals,  were 


*  Adored.    We  must  nevertheless  admit  that  the  doctrine  of  the  HoIy.Trinitv 
wzts  not  un)tno\vn  to  the  ancient  believers. 


200  J  Complete  History 

types  and  preludes,  which  emblematically  represented 
Christ  to  the  people  :  but  the  gospel  manifestly  and  clear- 
ly exhibits  to  us  Christ,  his  doctrines,  and  sacraments. 
This  St.  Paul,  2  Cor.  iii.  18,  positively  affirms,  "  We  be- 
"  hold  the  glory  of  the  Lord  with  an  open  face,  and  are 
.  **  changed  into  the  same  image,  from  glory  to  glory,  as  by 
*' the  Spirit  of  the  Lord."  And  in  confirmation  of  this, 
the  same  apostle  begins  his  epistle  to  the  Romans  thus : 
"  Paul,  a  servant  of  Jesus  Christ,  called  to  be  an  apostle, 
"  separated  unto  the  gospel  of  God,  which  he  had  promiis- 
**  cd  before  by  his  prophets  in  the  Holy  Scriptures  con- 
'■■  cerninghis  Son  Jesus  Christ." 

IL  The  law  was  a  messenger  of  fear  and  terror ;  but 
the  gospel,  of  j^eace  and  love.  The  one  threatening 
death  to  the  traiisgressors,  tiie  other  promising  rewards 
to  believers.  By  the  law  all  were  servants,  but  by  the 
gospel  all  are  freemen  and  children.  So  St.  Paul,  2  Cor. 
iii.  6,  "  God  hath  made  us  able  ministers  of  the  New  Tes- 
"  tament,  not  of  the  letter,  but  of  the  Spirit ;  for  the  letter 
'' killeth,  but  the  Spirit  giveth  life.  For  if  the  ministra- 
*'  tion  of  death,  (that  is,  the  \a\\  threatening  death)  written 
"  with  letters,  and  in  stones,  was  glorious,  how  sliall  not 
"  the  ministration  of  the  Spirit  be  more  glorious  ?" 
From  whence  we  may  justly  define  the  gospel  a  law 
of  liberty,  a  law  of  the  Spirit,  a  law  of  beneficence  and 
charity  :  for  Christ  "  went  about  doing  good,  and  healing 
ail  that  were  oppressed  of  the  devil,  for  God  w^as  with 
him,"  Acts  x.  38. 

III.  The  promises  of  the  law  were  temporary  ;  but  the 
gospel-promises  are  celestial  and  eternal.  In  the  law 
were  promised  the  good  things  of  the  eiirth^  as  plenty  of 
oil,  wine,  honey,  and  cattle  ;  but  in  the  gospel  the  vi- 
sion and  enjoyment  of  God,  and  everlasting  happiness. 
Joshua  conducted  the  Israelites  to  a  land  flowing  with 
milk  and  honey,  but  it  w^as  to  the  Umd  of  the  dying ; 
Christ  hath  brought  us  into  the  land  of  the  living,  a  land 
abounding  with  grace  and  glory.  Besides,  the  law  was 
more  burdensome  than  the  gospel  in  respect  of  its  three- 
fold division  into  moral,  ceremonial,  and  judicial,  many 
parts  of  which  decided  death  to  the  transgi-essorsof  thcmt 


of  the  Holy  Bible.  201 

but  the  obligations  which  the  gospel  lays  upon  the  profes- 
sors of  it  are  easy  and  pleasant ;  *'  Come  to  me,  says  our 
**  blessed  Saviour,  all  ye  that  are  weary  and  heavy  laden, 
''  and  1  will  give  you  rest ;  take  my  yoke  upon  you,  and 
"  learn  of  me,  for  I  am  meek  and  lowly  in  heart ;  for  my 
"  yoke  is  easy,  and  my  burden  is  light,  Mat.  xi.  28,  29, 
"  30,  &c." 

IV.  The  law  was  an  introduction  to  Christ  and  the  gos- 
pel ;  but  the  gospel  is  the  end  of  the  law  ;  as  St.  Paul  tells 
us,  Rom.  X.  4,  "  Christ  is  the  end  of  the  law  for  righte- 
ousness, to  every  one  that  believeth."  Wherefore  St. 
Bernard  very  aptly  calls  Christ,  The  fruit  of  the  promises 
of  the  law,  alluding  to  the  seminal  virtue  of  plants  ;  for 
fruit,  says  he,  Horn.  i.  is  the  end  to  which  seeds  tend,  and 
in  which  they  terminate. 

V.  But  the  superior  excellence  of  the  gospel  will  yet 
appear  much  greater,  if  we  consider  the  imperfection  of 
the  law,  as  it  was  limited  to  the  Jews  ;  while  the  gospel 
is  to  be  diffused  over  all  the  world,  see  Isaiah,  ch.  xlix. 
V.  6,  "  Behold  I  have  given  thee  for  a  light  to  the  Gen- 
"  tiles,  that  thou  mayest  be  my  salvation  to  the  ends  of 
"  the  earth."  The  law  was  likewise  imperfect  in  respect 
of  its  duration  ;  for  it  was  only  temporary,  being  intend- 
ed to  continue  no  lonarer  than  till  the  introduction  of  the 
gospel,  which  ihe  apostle  to  the  Hebrews,  ch.  vii.  ver, 
18,  affirms,  "  For  there  is  verily  a  disannulling  of  the 
"  commandment  going  before  for  the  weakness  and 
"  unprofitableness  thereof ;  for  the  law  made  nothing 
"  perfect,  but  the  bringing  in  of  a  better  hope  did, 
"  by  which  we  draw  nigh  unto  God  ;  but  this  is  made 
"  with  an  oath  by  him  that  said,  Thou  art  a  priest 
"  for  ever  alter  the  order  of  Melchisedec."  Indeed,  if 
we  consider  the  whole  texture  and  plan  of  the  gospel,  we 
shall  find  it  contrived,  and  adapted  to  all  ages  and  sexes, 
to  all  degrees  and  conditions,  and  it  may  justly  be  called 
an  universal  library  of  wisdom  and  knowledge,  where- 
in every  one  may  see  his  duty,  and  learn  to  put  it  in  prac- 
tice. If  we  examine  our  Saviour's  conduct  while  on  earth, 
we  shall  plainly  see  that  bis  u  hole  lite  was  a  continued  se- 
ries of  moral  excellence  ;  and  that  what  he  taught  to  others, 

Vol.  ir.  C  c 


202  A  Complete  Ilistonj 

he  himself  practised,  enforcing  his  precepts  by  his  own  ex- 
ample.' While  the  world  greedily  sought  after  wealth,  he 
studiousl}'  avoided  it.  While  others  ambitiously  aspired 
to  honour  and  empire,  he  declined  a  kingdom.  Impatient 
man  could  brook  no  aftront,  but  he  sustained  the  vilest  re- 
proach. Corporal  pains  were  terrible  to  human  nature, 
yet  he  bore  whipping  and  scourging.  Nothing  so  shock-' 
ing  to  mortality  as  the  bare  apprehension  of  dissolution,  ' 
yet  he  submitted  to  the  most  ignominious  and  painful 
death,  even  that  of  the  cross. 

But  besides  the  imperfections  of  the  law  already  men- 
tioned, St.  Paul  in  his  epistle  to  the  Galatians,  ch.  iv. 
xcr.  3,  shews  us  further,  "  That  when  we  were  children, 
"  we  were  under  the  elements  of  the  world  ;  but  when  the 
"  fulness  of  time  was  come,  God  sent  forth  his  Son  made 
"of  a  woman,  and  made  under  the  law,  that  he  might 
"  redeem  them  that  were  under  the  law,  that  we  might 
"  receive  the  adoption  of  sons."  And  St.  Cyril,  1.  9,  in 
Joan,  says,  "  It  was  necessary  that  Moses  should  instruct 
"  Israel  as  a  child  in  their  state  of  ignorant  infancy  ;  but 
"  by  Christ,  who  is  the  sacred  repository  of  wisdom^  we 
"  arrive  at  the  most  true  and  consummate  knowledge." 

The  perfection  of  Christ's  character  is  another  con- 
sideration which  stamps  a  peculiar  excellence  on  the 
New  Testament.  A  representation  is  given  of  one  en- 
tirely free  from  every  error  and  every  sin, — of  one  who 
is  perfectly  wise  and  perfectly  good.  This  character  is 
not  pourtraycd  in  a  few  brilliant  passages  at  the  end  of 
the  gospels :  it  rises  out  of  the  whole  of  the  history  of 
IVis  life  and  death.  Jesus  is  presented  in  many,  and  in 
different  situations.  He  is  introduced  speaking  on  an  in- 
finite variet}^  of  subjects  ;  he  converses  familiarly  with  his 
friends  ;  he  discourses  to  the  multitude ;  he  replies  to  the 
cavils  of  his  enemies.  He  is  displayed  both  in  active 
employments  and  in  sufferings  :  but  not  one  word  is  con- 
trary to  the  dictates  of  wisdom  ;  not  one  action  contiary  to 
the  rules  of  rectitude.  He  is  often  thrown  into  the  most 
trying  circumstances  ;  and  sudden  and  ensnaring  questions 
are  frequently  put  to  him  :  but  his  consummate  prudence 
bhiaea  forth  in  his  answers,  and  in  his  conduct ;  and  none 


of  the  Holy  Bible.  20o 

can  accuse  hin»  of  lolly  or  of  sin.  In  liis  most  bitter  suf- 
ftrinj^s,  from  the  hands  of  his  Fatiicr,  and  of  the  Jews, 
there  is  neither  murmuring  against  God,  nor  hatred  and 
revenge,  nor  reviling  of  man. — But  he  dpes  not  rest  in 
negative  virtue  :  he  is  all  resignation  to  the  will  of  God. 
His  treatment  of  Judas,  when  betrayed,  and  about  to  be 
delivered  uj) ;  his  behaviour  before  Pilate ;  iiis  words  to 
the  daughters  of  Jerusalem,  when  they  wept  at  his  suffer- 
ings ;  and  his  prayer  on  the  cross  for  his  enemies,  all  mani- 
fest the  highest  and  purest  eflorts  of  goodness.  No  one 
evil  passion  shews  itself  in  the  slightest  degree  ;  even  in  an 
unbecoming  word.  No  ignorance,  no  error,  nor  impru- 
dence ;  all  is  truth,  and  all  is  wisdom.  Enthusiasm  and 
superstition  have  no  place  in  this  wondrous  persouiige. 
There  is  from  first  to  last  a  full  display  of  perfect  rectitude 
and  perfect  goodness. 

He  is  not  only  called,  the  Son  of  Man,  but,  the  Son 
God ;  and  there  is  added,  to  the  perfection  of  a  man, 
the  elevation  becoming  "  the  Word,  who  was  in  the  be- 
ginning w'ith  God,  and  who  was  God,  by  whom  all 
things  were  made:"  nor  do  we  search  for  it  in  vain. 
Along  with  the  most  amiable  condescension  that  ever 
adorned  human  nature,  there  is  united  an  uniform  dig- 
nity of  sentiment  and  conduct  becoming  his  exalted 
rank,  as  the  Son  of  God.  Jesus  speaks  with  authority  ; 
he  promises  with  a  consciousness  of  his  power  ;  he  con- 
fers blessings  as  one  who  has  a  right  to  bestow.  In 
every  thing,  and  place,  and  time,  he  preserves,  without 
the  remotest  semblance  of  pride  or  assuming  arrogance, 
the  tone  of  a  master,  and  the  dignified  deportment  of  one 
who  *'  came  down  from  heaven  to  give  life  unto  the  world  ; 
"  and  who  was  the  only  begotten  of  the  Father,  full  of  grace 
*'  and  truth." 

After  all  these  excellencies  of  the  Gospels,  there  can  be 
no  motive  so  pressing  to  mcite  us  to  the  study  of  them,  as 
their  own  intrinsic  worth  ;  and  next  to  that,  our  interest, 
which  we  cannot  be  said  more  truly  to  pursue,  than  by  a 
firm  belief  of  their  testimony,  and  a  religious  observance 
of  their  precepts. 

And  here  it  will  not  be  improper  to  give  some  account 


204  A  Complete  History 

of  the  writers  of  this  history  ;  which,  though  penned  by 
four  several  persons,  and  at  four  diftbrent  times  and 
places,  preserve  such  a  harmony  throughout  the  whole 
narration,  as  plainly  evinces,  that  none  but  men  inspired 
•by  the  Holy  Ghost  could  so  punctually  agree  in  their 
•writings.  We  will  begin  with  St.  Matthew,  who  is  first 
in  order,  and  whose  gospel*  stands  first  in  the  New  Tes- 
tament. 

St.  Matthew,  called  also  Levi,  was  born  at  Nazareth,  a 
city  in  the  tribe  of  Zebulun,  and  was  the  son  of  Alpheus 
and  Mary ;  the  latter  was  sister  or  kinswoman  to  the  bles- 
sed Virgin,  and  both  were  originally  descended  of  the  tribe 
of  Issachar.  His  employment,  or  way  of  life,  was  that  of 
a  publican,  or  tax-gatherer  to  the  Romans,  an  ofiice  of  bad 
report  among  the  Jews,  though  among  the  Romans  it  was 
accounted  a  place  of  power  and  credit,  not  ordinarily  con- 
ferred upon  any  but  Roman  knights.  This  office  \\as  ren- 
.dered  very  odious  to  the  Jews,  by  the  covetousness  and  ex- 
tortion of  the  collectors,  who  having  farmed  the  customs 
of  the  Romans,  they  must  use  all  manner  of  extortion,  to 
pay  their  rent,  and  gain  some  advantage  to  themselves :  of 
w  hich,  doubtless,  Zaccheus,  the  chief  of  these  farmers,  was 
sensible,  when,  after  his  conversion,  he  offered  a  four-fold 
restitution  to  any  man,  from  whom  he  had  taken  any  thing 
by  fraud  or  evil  arts. 

Of  this  occupation  was  St.  Matthew,  which,  it  seems, 
more  particularly  consisted  in  gathering  the  customs  on 
commodities  that  came  by  the  sea  of  Galilee,  and  the  tri- 
bute which  passengers  were  obliged  to  pa}'  who  went  by 
water.  For  this  purpose  they  kept  their  office,  or  custom- 
house, by  the  sea-side,  that  they  might  be  ah\ays  near  at 
hand.     And  here  it  was,  as  St.  Mark  intimates,  that  Mat- 


*  Gospel.  Gospel  is  a  Saxon  word ;  Gos  with  them  signifying  Good,  as  well  as 
God,  and  Spel  means  a  Word :  so  that  this  term  agrees  exactly  with  the  Greek 
word  Euangellon,  which  signifies  good  news  or  a  good  message.  In  this  place  it 
denotes  the  history  of  the  birth,  life,  actions,  precepts  and  promises,  death  and  re- 
surrection of  Christ,  which  all  Christians  should  contemplate  with  infinite  joy  and 
thankfulness. 


of  the  Holy  Bible.  205 

then'  had  his  station,  where  he  sat  at  the  receipt  of  enstom, 
when  our  Lord  saw,  and  called  him  to  follow  him.  lie  had 
a  liicrati\e  business,  was  wise  and  prudent,  and  understood, 
no  doubt,  what  it  would  cost  him  to  comply  with  this  new 
employment,  that  he  must  exchange  wealth  for  poverty,  a 
custom-house  for  a  prison,  and  gainful  masters  for  a  poor 
and  despised  Saviour.  But  he  disregarded  all  these  consi- 
derations, and  forsook  his  interests  and  relations  to  be- 
come Christ's  disciple,  and  to  embrace  a  more  spiritual 
employment.*- 

After  his  call  to  be  an  apostle,  he  continued  with  the 
rest  of  the  disciples,  till  our  Lord's  ascension  ;  and  then, 
for  the  first  eight  years  afterward,  preached  in  and  about 
Judea.  Little  cerlainty  can  be  had  what  journies  he  un- 
dertook, for  the  advancement  of  the  Christian  faith,  so 
irrecoNcrably  is  truth  lost  in  a  crowd  of  legendary  stories. 
ji^thiopia  is  generally  assigned  as  the  province  of  his  apos- 
tolical ministry,  where,  it  is  most  probable,  that  he  suffered 
martyrdom  in  a  city  called  Naddabar,  but  by  what  kind  of 
death  is  uncertain. 

St.  Matthew  wrote  his  gospel,  as  is  commonly  supposed, 
at  the  intreat}^  of  the  Jewish  converts,  and  of  the  apostles, 
while  he  was  yet  in  Palestine,  about  eight  years  after  the 
death  of  Christ :  which,  notwithstanding  the  opinion  of 
Niccphorus  and  Irensus,  to  the  contrary,  carries  a  great 
appearance  of  probabilily,  from  its  being  written  before  the 
dispersion  of  the  apostles  ;  for  St.  Bartholomew  took  it 
with  him  when  he  travelled  into  India,  ^vhere  it  was  after- 
wards found  b}'  Panizeus,  amongst  some  that  yet  retained  the 
knowledge  of  Christ.  As  to  the  language,  he  undoubtedly 


*  Employwatt.  St.  Gregory  obse»ves,  that  St.  Matthew  did  not  return 
to  his  former  lucrative  occupation,  though  some  of  the  other  apostles  resumed  their 
business  as  fishermen  before  our  Saviour's  ascension.  See  John,  ch.  xxi.  ver.  3. 
Some  callings,  he  adds,  are  in  themselves-innocent,  others  which  can  scarcely  be 
exercised  without  sin.  The  corrupt,  insolent,  andcovetous  practices  of  the  publicans 
or  tax-gatherers,  had  brought  their  characters  into  universal  detestation  ;  and  had 
Matthew  returned  to  his  former  profession,  he  would  have  been  in  danger  of  yield- 
ing to  those  temptations  to  which  he  must  have  been  perpetually  exposed. 


206  A  Complete  History 

wrote  it  in  Hebrew,  as  primarily  designing  it  for  the  use  of 
his  countrymen.  It  was  very  likely  soon  after  translated 
into  Greek,  though  by  whom,  is  not  certainly  known ;  some 
say  by  St.  John,  others  by  St.  James  the  less.  But  it  mat- 
ters not  much  by  which  of  them  it  was  done,  since  the 
apostles  approved  the  version,  and  the  church  has  ever  since 
received  the  Greek  copy  as  authentic. 

There  is  no  certainty  as  to  what  became  of  the  original 
Hebrew,  or  whether  the  copy  of  it  which  Panl^us  brought 
from  India,  was  deposited  in  the  city  of  Alexandria,  and 
there  kept  tiii  the  time  of  St.  Jerome,  who  says  that  he  had 
seen  it. 

Saint  ?vlark  was  of  the  tribe  of  Levi,  and  descended 
from  Jewish  ancestors.  By  the  ancients  he  was  generally 
esteemed  to  be  one  of  the  seventy  disciples  of  our 
blessed  Saviour  ;  and  Eusebius  says,  that  he  was  sent  by 
St.  Peter  to  preach  the  gospycl  in  Kgypt ;  and  in  Alex- 
andria, the  metropolis  of  the  country,  he  established  a 
Christian  cliurch.  He  converted  great  multitudes  of 
both  sexes ;  and  his  preaching  w  as  attended  with  such  re- 
markable success,  that  the  people  not  only  embraced  the 
Christian  faith,  but  also  conformed  more  strictly  to  a 
holy  life  and  conduct. 

Having  preached  in  several  of  the  eastern  parts  of 
Egypt,  he  travelled  westward  to  Libya,  passing  through 
Marmarica,  Pentapolis,  and  other  neighbouring  coun- 
tries, inhabited  by  barbarous  and  idolatrous  people  ;  but 
by  his  preaching  and  miracles  he  prevailed  upon  them  to 
embrace  Christianity,  and  confirmed  them  in  the  faith. 

Returning  to  Alexandria,  he  preached  the  gospel  with 
great  freedom  and  boldness,  and  constituted  suitable  ofii- 
cers  of  the  church ;  but  while  industriously  labouring  in 
the  vineyard  of  his  great  Master,  his  progress  in  his  holy 
avocation  was  interrupted  by  the  idolatrous  people. 

About  Easter,  when  they  were  celebrating  the  solem- 
nities of  Serapis,  their  principal  idol,  the  multitude  tu- 
multuously  entering  the  church,  seized  St.  Mark,  and 
having  bound  his  feet  with  cords,  cruelly  dragged  him 
through  the  streets,  and  over  the  most  craggy  places,  to 
the  Bucelus,  a  precipice  near  the  sea,  wiiere  they  confined 


of  the  Holy  Bible.  207 

him  in  a  lonesome  prison.  Tradition  says,  durinf^  the 
niglit,  his  great  and  beloved  Master  appeared  to  him  in  a 
vision,  and  comforted  him  under  his  alHictions,  encoura- 
ging him  to  submit  to  his  fate  with  Christian  magnanimity 
and  fortitude. 

On  the  following  morning  the  populace  renewed  their 
barbarity,  dragging  him  about  the  streets  till  he  expired. 
After  this  horrid  murder,  they  wantonly  mangled,  and 
then  burnt  the  body  of  the  deceased.  This  abominable 
act  of  cruelty  being  perpetrated,  tlie  Christians  carefully 
collected  his  bones  and  abhes,  and  buried  them  near  the 
place  uhere  he  had  been  accustomed  to  preach.  The 
remains  of  this  evangelist  was  afterwards  removed  from 
Alexandria  with  great  funeral  pomp,  and  conveyed  to  Ve- 
nice, where  they  were  superstitiously  honoured  He  suf- 
fered martyrdom  on  the  fifteenth  of  April,  but  in  what 
year  is  uncertain  ;  though  from  circumstances  it  appears 
probable  that  it  happened  towards  the  conclusion  of  the 
reign  of  Nero. 

His  gospel  was  written,  it  is  said,  at  the  earnest  entreaty 
of  the  converts  at  Rome.  Not  content  with  having  heard 
the  discourses  of  St.  Peter,  they  solicited  St.  Mark,  his 
disciple,  to  commit  to  writing  a  narrative  of  what  that 
apostie  had  delivered  to  them.  This  task  was  undertaken 
with  cheerfulness,  and  executed  with  remarkable  success. 
The  work  being  approved  by  St.  Peter,  it  was  command- 
ed to  be  publickly  read  in  the  Christian  assemblies. 

The  original  Greek  copy  of  St.  Mark's  gospel  was  re- 
ported to  have  been  in  the  possession  of  the  Venetians,  but 
is  now  most  probably  in  Paris,  and  is  pretended  to  have 
been  written  by  the  evangelist  at  Aquileia,  and  thence 
removed  to  Venice,  after  many  ages ;  but  the  letters  are 
so  worn  out  that  they  cannot  be  read,  and  the  whole  story 
appears  to  be  a  forgery  :  but  that  his  gospel  was  com- 
posed at  Rome,  and  at  the  intreaty  of  the  Christians 
there,  is  the  unanimous  tradhion  of  the  ancients,  such  as 
Papias,  Irenasus,  Clemens,  Tertullian,  and  others;  as 
also  that  it  was  perused  by  St.  Peter,  and  ratified  by  his 
authority.  Only  Jrer.asus  intimates,  that  it  was  written 
after  St.  Peter's   death ;  and  Dr.  Cave  seems  to  believe. 


208  A  Complete  Uistbry 

that  in  his  life- time  he  only  furnished  the  evangelist  with 
materials,  and  gave  him  directions  for  putting  them  to- 
gether as  we  now  have  them  ;  but  that  the  work  was  not 
actually  composed  till  after  the  apostle's  death.  Clemens 
Alexandrinus  is  of  opinion,  that  he  composed  it  out  of 
those  discourses  which  St.  Peter  usually  delivered  to  his 
auditors.  It  was  anciently  styled  St  Peter's  gospel ;  and 
St.  Chr}^sostom  observes,  that  the  style  and  manner  of 
expression  is  like  that  in  his  epistles,  containing  much  in 
a  few  words. 

Antioch,  the  metropolis  of  Syria,  was  the  birth-place 
of  St.  Luke,  a  city  enrinent  above  all  others  in  Syria,  for 
its  pleasant  situation,  and  fertile  soil ;  riches,  wisdom,  and 
learning,  and  for  the  politeness  of  its  inhabitants ;  above 
all  these,  renowned  for  the  peculiar  honour,  that  here  the 
disciples  were  first  called  Christians.  Being  an  university 
abounding  with  learned  professors  of  all  arts  and  sciences, 
St.  Luke  could  not  fail  of  a  liberal  education,  his  natural 
parts  meeting  v,  iih  the  advantage  of  great  improvements. 
Nor  did  he  only  study  at  Antioch,  but  in  all  the  schools 
of  Greece  and  Egypt,  whereby  he  became  accomplished 
in  all  parts  of  learning.  He  applied  himself  particularly 
to  the  study  of  physic,  for  which  the  Greek  academies 
were  most  famous.  But  it  does  not  hence  follow  that  he 
was  a  man  distingnished  either  for  his  birth  or  fortune;  for, 
in  the  early  ages,  the  healing  art  was  generally  practised  by 
domestics,  or  persons  in  a  dependent  situation ;  Grotius 
is  therefore  of  opinion  that  St.  Luke  went  to  Rome,  and 
lived  there  in  quality  of  a  physician  to  some  noble  family ; 
and  that,  after  obtaining  his  freedom,  he  returned  to  his 
own  country,  and  there  continued  to  pursue  the  practice 
of  physic. 

He  is  also  said  to  have  acquired  great  reputation  by  his 
skill  in  painting;  and  an  ancient  inscription  found  in  a 
vault  near  the  church  of  St.  Maria  de  Via  lata  at  Rome, 
supposed  to  be  the  place  where  St.  Luke  resided,  a  pic- 
ture of  the  blessed  Virgin  is  mentioned,  being  one  of  the 
seven  painted  by  St.  Luke. 

The  Acts  were  wi  itten,  no  doubt,  at  Rome.  In  the  de- 
dication of  this  Book  to  Theophiius,  it  appears   that  it 


of  the  Holy  Bible.  309 

was  composed  after  his  gospel ;  and  from  the  conclusion 
we  may  leather,  that  he  finished  it  at  the  end  of  St.  Paul's 
two  years'  imprisonment :  though  we  may  well  take  it  for 
granted,  that  he  committed  to  writing  the  several  facts  all 
along  at  the  times  when  they  happened,  having  himself 
been  an  eye-witness  of  them.  In  this  history,  he  not  only 
relates  the  actions,  but  also  the  sufferings,  of  some  of  the 
chief  apostles,  and  of  St.  Paul  especially;  of  whose  trials 
and  most  intimate  transactions,  he  was  best  able  to  give  a 
true  account,  having  been  his  constant  attendant;  and, 
among  other  things,  he  enlarges  particularly  upon  the 
great  miracles  wrought  l^y  the  apostles,  as  being  the  grand 
confirmation  of  the  truth  of  Christ's  resurrection. 

It  is  most  probable  that  he  was  converted  by  St.  Paul, 
during  his  abode  at  Antioch  ;  after  which  he  became  his 
inseparable  companion  and  fellow-labourer  in  the  ministry 
of  the  Gospel,  especially  after  his  going  into  Macedonia, 
from  which  time  in  recording  the  history  of  St.  PauPs 
travels  he  always  speaks  of  himself  in  his  own  person. 
Acts  xvi.  10.  He  followed  him  in  all  his  dangers,  was 
with  him  at  several  arraignments  at  Jerusalem,  accom- 
panied him  in  his  desperate  voyage  to  Rome,  where  he 
still  attended  on  him  to  serve  his  necessities,  and  supply 
those  offices  which  the  apostle's  confinement  would  not 
suffer  him  to  undertake,  and  especially  in  carrying  messa- 
ges to  the  churches  wherein  he  had  planted  Christianity. 
This  infinitely  endeared  him  to  St.  Paul,  who  owned  him 
for-  his  fellow-labourer,  and  calls  him  the  beloved  phy- 
sician, and  the  brother  whose  praise  is  in  the  gospel, 
throughout  all  the  chiuxhes. 

St.  Luke  wrote  two  books  for  the  use  of  the  church  ; 
his  gospel  and  history  of  the  apostles'  acts,  both  which 
he  dedicated  to  Theophilus.  The  ancients  differ  much 
about  this  Theophilus,  some  supposing  it  to  be  a  feigned 
name,  denoting  no  more  than  a  Lover  of  God,  a  title 
common  to  every  real  Christian,  while  others,  with 
better  reason,  conclude  it  was  the  proper  name  of  a 
particular  person,  especially  since  the  style  of  Most  Ex- 
cciicnt  is  attributed  to  him,  the  usual  form  ot  address  to 
princes  and  great  men  :  but  even  they  that  agree  in  this, 

Vol.  II.  D  d 


216  A  Complete  History 

cannot  determine  positively  who  he  was.  It  is  most 
probable  he  was  some  magistrate,  whom  St.  Luke  had 
converted  and  baptized,  to  whom  he  now  dedicated  these 
books,  not  only  as  a  testimony  of  honourable  respect, 
but  as  a  means  of  giving  him  farther  certainty  and  as- 
surance of  those  things  wherein  he  liad  been  instructed 
by  him.  St.  Jerome  supposes  his  gospel  to  have  been 
written  in  Achaia,  during  his  travels  with  St.  Paul  in 
Greece,  of  whose  help  he  is  generally  said  to  have  made 
use  in  composing  it.  But  whatever  assistance  St.  Paul 
might  contribute  towards  it,  we  are  sure,  as  this  evan- 
gelist himself  informs  us,  That  he  derived  his  intelligence 
from  those  who  from  the  beginning  had  been  eye-wit- 
nesses of  the  facts,  and  ministers  of  the  word,  Luke  i.  2. 
Nor  does  it  in  the  least  detract  from  the  authority  of  his 
history,  that  he  himself  was  not  a  spectator  of  all  the  events; 
for,  if  we  consider  who  they  ^^'ere  from  whom  he  derived 
his  information,  he  had  a  stock  both  of  credit  and  intelli- 
gence sufficiently  authentic  to  proceed  upon,  delivering 
nothing  in  his  whole  history,  but  what  he  had  immedi- 
ately received  from  persons  present  at,  and  concerned  in 
the  things  which  he  has  left  upon  record. 

The  ancients  are  not  very  well  agreed  either  about  the 
time  or  manner  of  his  death.  Nazianzen  and  others  ex- 
pressly assert  his  martyrdom,  of  which  Nicephorus  gives 
a  particular  account ;  that  coming  into  Greece  he  success- 
fully preached  the  gospel,  and  baptized  many  converts 
into  the  Christian  faith,,  till  a  party  of  infidels  seizing  up- 
on him,  drew  him  to  execution,  and  for  want  of  a  cross 
whereon  to  dispatch  him  immediately,  hanged  him  upon 
an  olive  tree,  in  the  eightieth  year  of  his  age.  His  bod} 
afterwards,  by  the  command  of  Constantinc,  or  his  son 
Constantius,  was  solemnly  removed  to  Constantinople, 
and  buried  in  the  great  Church  erected  to  the  memory  of 
the  apostles. 

St.  John,  though  the  last  in  order,  yet  first  in  reputation, 
of  the  evangelists,  was  by  birth  a  Galilean,  the  son  of 
Zebedee  and  Salome,  younger  brother  to  St.  James,  \\ith 
whom  he  was  brought  up  in  the  business  of  fishing.  The 
nobility  of  his  family,  which  some  attribute  to  him,  seems 
not  reconcikable  with  the  meanness  of  his  father's  trade. 


of  the  Ihbj  Bible.  21 J 

and  ihc  sniallness  of  his  fortunes.  Before  liis  corning  to 
Christ,  he  seems  for  some  time  lo  have  been  a  discii)le  to 
John  tlic  Baptist,  being  probably  that  other  disciple  that 
was  with  Andrew,  when  tiiey  left  the  Baptist  to  follow  oar 
Saviour ;  so  particularly  does  he  relate  all  circumstances 
of  that  transaction,  though  modestly,  as  in  other  parts  of 
his  gospel,  concealing  his  own  name.  He  was  at  the  same 
time  with  his  brother  called  by  our  Lord  to  be  both  disci- 
ple and  apostle  ;  and  M'asby  much  the  youngest  of  all  the 
aposdes,  which  his  great  age  seems  to  evince,  having  lived 
near  seventy  years  after  our  Saviour's  ascension. 

The  sacred  story  says  little  more  than  what  is  recorded 
of  him  in  conjunction  with  his  brother  James.  He  was 
peculiarly  dear  to  his  Loi-d  and  Master,  being  treated  by 
him  M  ith  more  familiarity  and  indulgence  than  the  rest ; 
and  he  was  not  only  one  of  the  three,  to  whom  our  Sa- 
viour communicated  the  private  passages  of  his  life,  but 
had  some  instances  of  a  more  particular  kindness  and  fa- 
vour conferred  upon  him.  At  the  last  supper  he  lay  on 
our  Lord's  bosom,  it  being  the  custom  of  those  early  times 
to  lie  along  at  meals  upon  couches,  so  that  the  second  lay 
M'ith  his  head  in  the  bosom  of  him  that  was  before  him  ; 
which  honour  was  not  given  to  any  of  the  aged,  but  re- 
served for  this  young  apostle.  And  besides  other  marks 
of  distinction,  during  the  ministry  of  our  blessed  Lord, 
he  made  him,  when  on  the  cross,  guardian  of  his  mother, 
the  blessed  Virgin,  committing  her  to  his  particular  care, 
John  xix.  26,  27. 

Upon  the  division  of  provinces,  which  the  apostles  made 
among  themselves,  Asia  fell  to  St.  John,  though  it  is  not 
probable  that  he  immediately  entered  upon  his  cliargc,  but 
dwelt  in  his  own  house  at  Jerusalem,  at  least  till  the  death 
of  the  blessed  Virq-in,  which  was  about  fifteen  rears  after 
our  Lord's  ascension.  Some  time  after  her  death  he  took 
his  journey  into  Asia,  and  industriously  :<pplied  himself 
to  propagate  Christianity,  preaching  where  the  gospel  had 
not  yet  been  introduced,  and  confirmmg  it  where  it  was 
already  planted;  St.  Paul  having  before  made  several 
journeys  into,  and  resided  in  those  parts.  Many  churches 
of  note  were  of  his  founding,  Smyrna,  Pergamus,  Thya- 
tira,  Sardis,  Philadelphia,  Laodicea,  and  others ;  but  his 


212  ^  Complete  History 

chief  place  of  residence  was  Ephesus,  where  St.  Paul  had 
many  years  before  settled  a  church,  and  constituted  Timor 
thy  its  first  Pastor. 

After  several  years  spent  in  this  employment,  he  was 
at  length  accused  to  Domitian,  who  had  begun  a  perse- 
cution against  the  Christians,  as  an  eminent  asserter  of 
atheism  and  impiety,  and  a  public  subverter  of  the  reli- 
gion of  the  empire.  By  his  command  the  proconsul  of  Asia 
sent  him  bound  to  Rome,  where,  it  is  said,  he  was  cast  into 
a  caldron  of  oil  set  on  fire.  But  Divine  Providence  pre- 
served him  from  this  seemingly  unavoidable  destruction. 
The  cruel  emperor  not  convinced  or  satisfied,  ordered 
him  to  be  banished  to  Patmos,  a  desolate  island  in  the 
Archipelago,  where  he  remained  several  years,  and  there 
%vrote  his  book  of  the  Revelations. 

Domitian,  whose  prodigious  wickedness  had  rendered 
him  burdensome  to  the  world,  being  taken  out  of  the  way, 
Cocceius  Nerva  succeeded  to  the  empire,  a  prudent  man, 
and  of  a  mild  and  sedate  temper.  He  rescinded  the  odious 
acts  of  his  predecessor,  and  by  a  public  edict  recalled  those 
whom  the  fury  of  Domitian  had  banished.  St.  John  taking 
advantage  of  this  general  indulgence,  left  Patmos,  and  re- 
turned to  his  ancient  charge  in  Asia,  but  chiefly  fixed  his 
seat  at  Ephesus,  the  care  and  presidency  of  which  (Timo- 
thy their  bishop  having  been  lately  martyred  by  the  people) 
he  took  upon  him,  and  by  the  assistance  of  seven  bishops 
he  regulated  that  large  diocese,  erecting  oratories  (not  large 
and  splendid  churches)  and  ordering  and  disposing  their 
affairs  as  circumstunces  required.  He  lived  till  the  time  of 
Trajan,  about  the  beginning  of  whose  reign  he  departed 
this  life,  very  aged,  being  in  the  ninety-eighth  or  ninety-ninth 
year  of  his  life.  There  are  many  improbable  opinions  and 
conjectures  about  the  manner  of  his  death,  most  of  which, 
relating  to  his  dying  a  violent  death,  are  very  frivolous  and 
trifling  :  the  nx)st  probable  is,  that  he  died  a  natural  death, 
in  a  good  old  age. 

He  was  indefatigjible  in  the  discharge  of  his  important 
duty,  which  he  esprest,ed  in  his  care  to  the  souls  oi"  men, 
unwearicdiy  spei^ding  himself  in  the  service  of  the  gospel, 
travelling  from  east  to  west  to  instruct  the  world  in  the 
principles  of  that  holy  religion  which  he  was  sent  to  pro- 


of  the  Holy  Bible.  213 

pagalc,  bluinning  no  diflicultics  or  dangers  to  convert  man- 
kind from  error  and  idolatry,  and  save  them  tiom  a  vicious 
life.  He  was  a  vigilant  and  courageous  champion  against 
heretics,  countermining  their  artifices,  and  conhrming 
Christians  against  their  poisonous  errors. 

St.  John  w  rote  his  gospel  after  his  return  from  Patmos 
to  Ephcsus,  and,  as  it  is  said,  at  the  intreaty  and  solicita- 
tion of  the  Asian  bishops,  and  ambassadors  from  several 
churches.  In  order  to  which  he  caused  them  to  proclaim 
a  fast,  to  seek  the  blessing  of  heaven  on  so  great  and  solemn 
an  undertaking ;  which  being  done  he  commenced  die  work. 
Two  things  chiefly  occasioned  its  being  written ;  the  one 
was  to  obviate  the  heresies  of  those  times,  especially  those 
of  Ebion  and  Cerinthus,  who  denied  Christ's  divinity  ;  the 
other,  that  he  might  supply  those  passages  of  the  Evange- 
lical History  which  the  rest  of  the  sacred  writers  had  omit- 
ted. Besides  these  he  wrote  diree  epistles  ;  the  first  of 
which  is  catholic,  or  general,  calculated  for  all  times  and 
places,  containing  most  excellent  rules  for  the  conduct  of 
Christian  life,  pressing  to  holiness  and  purity  of  manners, 
and  arming  men  .against  the  insinuations  of  seducers,  espe- 
cially the  Gnosticks,  to  whom  St.  John  had  a  particulai? 
respect  in  this  epistle.  It  was  universally  received,  and 
never  questioned  by  any.  The  other  two  epistles  are  but 
short,  and  directed  to  particular  persons  ;  the  one  to  a  lady 
of  honourable  quality  ;  the  other  to  the  charitable  and  hos- 
pitable Gaius,  the  kind  friend  and  courteous  entertainer  of 
indigent  Christians.  These  epistles  were  not  of  old  admit- 
ted into  the  canon,  nor  are  they  owned  by  the  church  in 
Syria  to  this  day,  being  by  many  ascribed  to  the  younger 
John,  disciple  to  our  apostle.  But  there  is  no  just  cause 
to  question  who  was  the  author,  since  both  the  doctrine, 
phrase,  and  design  of  them  sufficiently  challenge  our  apos- 
tle for  their  author. 

St.  John  wrote  his  works  in  Greek  :  but  his  Gospel  was 
afterwards  translated  into  Hebrew,  and  kept  by  the  Jews 
among  their  secret  archives  and  records  in  their  treasury  at 
Tiberias,  where  a  copy  of  it  was  found  by  one  Joseph  a  Jew, 
afterwards  converted,  and  whom  Constanline  the  Great  ad- 
vanced to  the  honour  of  a  count  of  the  empire ;  who  breaking 
open  the  treasury,  though  he  missed  of  money,  found  books 


^214  A  Complete  History' 

beyond  al!  treasure,  St.  Matthew's  and  St.  John's  Gospels, 
and  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles  in  Hebrew,  the  reading  of 
which  greatly  contributed  to  his  conversion. 

Thus  much  of  each  evangelist  in  particular  :  that  which 
is  generally  observable  of  the  writings  of  these  four  ex- 
cellent persons  is  this  ;  That  the  three  first  of  them  wrote 
the  whole  story  from  the  birth  of  Christ,  till  after  the  re- 
surrection ;  but  two  of  them  more  largely,  St.  Matthew 
and  St.  Luke  ;  the  third  (St.  Mark)  more  succinctly  re- 
lating the  series  of  the  actions  rather  than  the  sermons  and 
passages  delivered  by  him.  And  though  none  of  them 
agree  throughout  in  observing  the  order  and  succession  of 
the  matters  which  they  record,  yet  two  of  them  agree  much 
more  constantly  than  the  third  with  either  of  them,  viz. 
St.  Matthew  an  apostle  and  eye-witness,  and  St.  Mark 
from  St.  Peter,  who  also  was  an  apostle  and  eye-witness  : 
but  the  third,  St.  Luke,  who  compiled  his  story  from  col- 
lections that  he  made  from  others,  hath  not  so  exactly  ob- 
served the  order  wherein  the  facts  took  place,  but  only  set 
down  the  facts  themselves.  And  though  he  sometimes 
varied  from  the  others  in  some  words  or  circumstances, 
{as  when  St.  Matthew  and  St.  Mark  say  it  was  a  Maid  that 
spake  to  St.  Peter,  he  reads,  another  Man,  and  the  like) 
they  are  so  inconsiderable,  and  of  so  little  importance  to 
the  main  matters  of  faith,  and  doctrines  of  the  gospel,  that 
they  are  rather  arguments  to  demonstrate  that  these  wri- 
tings were  not  contrived  by  any  compactor  agreement  of  one 
with  another,  but  that  each  of  them  wrote  separately,  with- 
out consulting  or  knowing  what  the  other  had  done  ;  which 
is  a  circumstance  that  was  necessary  to  make  their  testi- 
monies distinct,  and  so  to  give  them  the  greater  authority 
from  their  number.  As  to  the  fourth  evangelist,  St. 
John,  his  writings  seem  to  have  been  designed  to  these 
two  ends  :  1.  To  demonstrate  and  declare  the  divinity  and 
eternal  pre-existence  of  Christ,  his  creation  of  the  world, 
v/ith  other  sublime  and  mysterious  truths ;  as  the  other 
three  had  described  his  humanity,  and  cleared  the  matter 
of  his  conception  and  birth  of  the  blessed  Virgin.  2.  To 
add  out  of  his  own  knowledge  some  remarkable  things, 
(especially  those  which  tended  most  to  the  divinity  of 
Christ)  which  had  been  omitted  by  the  other  three:  to 


»• 


of  the  Holy  Bible.  215 

which  purpose  he  saw  it  necessary  to  set  down  the  story 
of  Christ's  passion  and  resurrection  as  the  others  had  done, 
that  so  he  might  affix  those  other  circumstances  which  he 
designed  to  add  to  them. 

There  are  some  that  find  fault  with  his  style,  as  being 
often  mixed  with  barbarisms,  and  phrases  used  in  an  un- 
common sense,  making  his  writings  less  grateful  to  the 
critical  and  curious.  But  whatever  was  wanting  in  the 
politeness  and  elegance  of  his  style,  M'as  abundantly  sup- 
plied in  the  zeal  of  his  temper,  and  the  excellency  and  sub- 
limity of  his  matter ;  so  that  as  St.  Basil  and  Epiphanius 
assert  of  him,  he  spake  and  wrote  like  "  a  son  of  thunder.  '* 

The  appointed  time  was  now  approaching,  when  the 
great  Creator  of  the  World,  intending  to  restore  mankind 
from  that  wretched  state,  into  which  they  were  plunged  by 
the  apostacy  of  our  first  parents,  resolved  to  perform  the 
promises  made  to  the  fathers,  by  sending  his  Son*  to  re- 
deem them. 

In  pursuance  of  this  grand  design,  he  first  sent  his  mes- 
sengert  to  prepare  the  way  before  tl:ie  Saviour  of  the 
World,  who  was  now  about  to  make  his  public  entry  inta 
it ;  and  to  render  the  fulfilment  of  the  prophecies  concern- 
ing him  the  more  illustrious,  and  worth}'-  of  an  Ahnighty 
hand,  the  conception  and  birth  of  John  Baptist,  the  fore- 
runner of  Christ,  was  introduced  with  a  stupendous  mi- 
racle :  God  hereby  not  only  denoting  his  omnipotence, 
which  is  not  circumscribed  within  the  scanty  bounds  of 
Nature,  but  at  the  same  time  exciting  the  minds  of  men 


jf  Son.  Jesus  was  the  proper  name  of  the  word  made  Flesh,  and  given  by  God 
himself,  Mat.  i.  21.  Luke  i.  31,  and  ii.  21.  Not  that  it  was  a  name  strange  or 
tinusualat  that  time,  but  more  emphatically  given  him  as  Saviour  of  the  World ; 
the  reason  of  which  is  by  the  heavenly  ambassador  subjoined  in  Matthew  i.  21, 
"  For  he  shall  save  his  people  from  their  sins." 

Christ  is  a  name  of  dignity,  signifying  his  office  as  Messiah,  or  the  anointed ; 
for  under  the  old  law,  kings,  priests,  and  prophets,  were  anointed,  1  Sam.  x.  1. 
1  Kings  i.  39.  Levit.  viii.  12.  1  Kings,  xix.  16,  And  that  this  was  a  name  pe- 
culiar to  the  expected  Messiah  of  the  Jews,  is  evident  from  the  High-priest's  call- 
ing him  the  Christ,  Mat.  xxvi.  63.     Mark  xiv  61.     Luke  .\xii.  67. 

7  Messenger.     See  Isaiah  xl.  3.     Mai.  iii.  1, 


216       '  A  Complete  History 

to  the  expectation  of  something  extraordinary  from  such 
preternatural  means. 

In  the  reign  of  Herod,  king  of  Judea,  lived  a  certain 
priest  named  Zacharias,  and  his  wife  Elizabeth  ;  both  of 
the  tribe  of  Levi,  but  by  a  peculiar  descent ;  he  being  of 
the  lot  of  Abiah,*  which  was  the  eighth,  according  to  the 
division  of  David,  and  she  lineally  descended  from  the 
daughters  of  Aaron.  Nor  was  their  character  inferior  to 
the  excellency  of  their  extraction,  being  just  f  before  God, 
and  unblameable  in  their  conversation.  Yet  hitherto  God 
had  favoured  them  with  no  issue,  and  being  both  far  ad- 
vanced in  years,  they  had  now  no  reason  to  expect  any. 
God,  contrary  to  all  the  seeming  improbabilities  of  Nature, 
had  determined  to  make  them  instruments  of  his  glory,  by 
manifesting  on  them  his  omnipotent  power  in  an  extraor- 
dinary manner. 

At  the  time  when  Zacharias  was  to  officiate  in  his  course, 
and  to  burn  incense  in  the  temple,  the  angel  Gabriel  ap- 
peared to  him,  standing  on  the  right  side  of  the  altar.  % 
The  peculiarity  of  the  sight  struck  Zacharias  with  surprise 
and  fear,  which  the  angel  soon  dispelled,  by  assuring  him 
of  the  favour  which  he  and  his  wife  had  found  with  God ; 
who,  notwithstanding  their  great  age,  intended  to  bless 
them  with  a  son,  whose  birth  should  be  the  occasion  of 
great  joy  not  only  to  themselves  but  to  many  others; 
foretelling  at  the  same  time  the  dignity  of  his  office.— 
That  being  from  his  birth  inspired  with  the  Holy  Ghost, 
he  should  go  before  the  Lord  in  the  spirit  and  power  of 
Eiias,  to  turn  the  hearts  of  the  children  of  Israel,  and  make 


*  Abiah.     1  Chron.  xxiv.  10.  f  Just.  Luke  i.  6. 

\  Altar.  As  the  daily  sacrifice  represented  the  sacrifice  of  Christ,  and  the 
incense  the  prayers  of  the  saints.  Rev.  viii.  1,  4,  the  incense  was  ordered  to  be 
burnt  while  the  sacrifice  was  oiTering,  to  teach  mankind  that  it  was  through  tlie 
sacrifice  of  Christ  they  had  access  to  the  Deity.  Accordingly  the  sajcrifices  and 
incense,  both  morning  and  evening,  were  fitly  accompanied  with  the  prayers  of 
the  people,  and  that  not  in  the  temple  only,  but  every  where  else,  pious  men 
choosing  to  put  up  their  supplications  at  the  hours  of  sacrifice,  while  the  mi' 
Histers  of  religion  interceded  for  the  nation.  Hence  these  hours  were  called  the 
hours  of  prayer,  Acts  iii.  1. 


of  the  Holy  Bible.  217 

ready  a  people  prepared  for  the  Lord.  Zacharlas,  by  rea- 
son of  his  own  and  his  wife's  great  age,  questions  the 
truth  of  the  divine  message  :  but  the  angel,  to  confirm  the 
authority  of  his  embassy,  tells  the  diffident  priest,  that  he 
should  be  dumb  till  these  things  were  fulfilled  ;  wiiich  im- 
mediately happened,  for  when  he  came  out  of  the  temple 
he  was  speechless,  and  continued  so  till  the  time  of  his 
wife's  delivery. 

Zacharias's  time  of  waiting  being  expired,  he  returns 
home,  where,  soon  after,  his  wife  Elizabeth  conceived, 
which  for  five  months  she  concealed,  not  that  she  doubted 
of  the  promise  God  had  made  to  her  by  the  angel;  for  she 
well  knew  her  husband's  incredulity  was  punished  with 
loss  of  speech,  but  to  avoid  the  rumours*"  that  her  being 
with  child  might  occasion,  whom  the  world,  by  reason  of 
her  great  age,  might  naturally  suppose  to  be  barren. 

God  having  thus  miraculously  removed  from  Elizabeth 
the  reproach  of  barrenness  in  her  old  age,  by  her  concep- 
tion of  the  Baptist,  the  birth  of  the  Messiah  is  ushered  in- 
to the  world  by  no  less  wonderful,  but  rather  more  extra- 
ordinary means.  For  a  woman  generally  esteemed  bar- 
ren, and  in  years,  to  bear  a  child  was  w^ithin  the  verge  of 
possibility.  Sacred  History  affords  instances  in  the  birth 
of  Isaac  and  Samson  :  but  that  a  virgin,  who  had  never 
known  man,  should  conceive  and  bear  a  child,  exceeded 
all  natural  reason,  and  could  be  nothing  but  the  product 
of  divine  power.  This  the  Almighty  had  promised,! 
and  now  most  punctually  performed ;  for,  within  six 
months  after  Elizabeth  had  conceived,  the  angel  Ga- 
briel, who  to  her  had  been  the  happy  messenger  of  glad 
tidings,  is  sent  by  God  on  the  same  errand  to  a  virgin 
named  Mary,  a  cousin  of  Elizabeth  in  Nazareth,  a  city 
of  Galilee,  who  not  long  before  was  espoused  to  Joseph ; 
and  both  of  them  were  of  the  house  of  David.  The  angel 
entering  the  house  where  she  then  was,  (for  as  yet  she  was 
not  brought  home  to  her  espoused  husband  Joseph)  salutes 
her  with  the  heavenly  benediction:   "  Hail  J  thou  that  art 

•  Rumours.     Grot.  Luc.  Brug.  Mavlorat,  &c. 
f  Framised.    Isa.  vii.  14.  \  Had.     Luke  i.  28. 

Vol.  II.  E  e  ■ 


:^18  '      A  Complete  Ilh^ury 

*'  highly  in  favour  with  God,  the  LdfcI  is  with  thee ;  bles- 
*'  sed  art  thou  among  women."  This  glorious  vision  af- 
fected her  with  amazement  and  surprise ;  which  Gabriel 
soon  removes  by  assuring  her  of  tiK'  favour  that  she  had 
found  with  God,  \vho  had  appointed  her  to  be  the  mother 
of  the  Saviour  of  tlie  world. 

The  holy  Virgin^  in  confidence  G>f  her  own  virtue,  ob- 
jects to  the  celestial  messenger  the  impossibility  of  the 
event  which  he  predicted  ;  but  he  removes  her  doubts 
by  assuring  her  that  the  Holy  Ghost,  by  his  Almighty  infiu- 
ence,  should  cause  her  to  conceive ;  and  by  her  cousin 
ElizabeUi's  miraculously  being  q^regnant  in  her  old  age, 
he  convinces  her  of  the  omnipotence  of  God,  with  whom 
nothing*  is  impossible,  'i'he  blessed  Virgin  humbly  ac- 
quiesces m  the  reasons  of  the  divine  visitor  :  upon  which 
he  leaves  her,  and  she  with  eager  haste  repaired  to  He- 
bron, where  her  cousin  Elizabeth  dwelt,  not  out  of  any 
distrust  of  the  angel's  report,  but  that  she  might  not  ne- 
glect the  opportunity  of  strengthening  her  faith  in  that  pre- 
diction which  she  liad  thus  received  fi'om  God  by  the  an- 
gel. Being  lUTrved  at  the  house  of  Zacharias,  she  had  no 
sooner  saluted  Elizabeth,  than  the  babe  in  her  womb 
sprang  as  it  were  with  joy — a  motion  which  is  to  be  as- 
cribed, not  to  a  common,  but  a  supernatural  cause. 

In  this  visit  of  the  Virgin  Mary  to  Elizabeth,  we  may 
observe  a  most  exact  harmony,  and  which  can  no  where 
be  found  or  expected,  but  in  such  extraordinary  transac- 
tions. Elizabeth  had  no  sooner  received  the  blessed  Vir- 
gin's compliment,  but,  being  influenced  by  the  Holy 
Ghost,  in  return  she  accosted  her  with  the  very  words  in 
which  the  angel  Gabriel  had  before  saluted  her  "  Blessed 
art  thou  among  women  ;"  and  as  if  she  had  been  acquaint- 
ed with  the  whole  conversation  between  the  angel  and  her 
virgin -coil  sin,  she  declares  her  being  with  child  of  the  Mes- 
siah, and  calls  her  the  "  Mother  of  her  Lord." 


*  Nothing.     The  vulgar    Latin  translates  it  Word,  because  the  Greek  term 
Logos  dbes  often  so  signify  ;  but  since  it  answers  to  the  Hebrew  word  DebTiar, 
which  is  very  equivocal,  and  signifies  sometimes  a  word,  sometimes  a  thing,  some 
times  a  reason,  8cc.  we  must  necessarily  determine  its  signiiicaticii  according  to  the 
ma.tter  which  is  spoken  of. 


of  the  Holij  Bihlc,  219 

Tliis  WHS  a  most  ccfrtlplctc  and  dQiiionstrnblc  confirma- 
lion  of  all  that  tlic  ani;cl  had  ibrclold  her,  and  to  the  know- 
ledge of  which  Kliz:il)cth  could  no  way  come  bat  by  di- 
vine insj)iration  :  which  so  transported  the  blessed  Vir- 
gin, that  in  a  heavenly  ecstacy  she  glorified  God,  by  re- 
collecting his  mercies,  and  the  promises  he  had  made  to 
his  people  Israel,  and  which  by  making  her  the  blessal 
instrument,  he  was  now  about  to  fulfil. 

Having  tarried  about  three  months  with  her  cousin,  she 
returned  home  ;  soon  after  which  i'^lizabeth,  according  to 
tlie  time  foretold,  was  delivered  of  a  son,  whom,  on  the 
eigliih  day,  at  his  circumcisioy,  to  the  amazement  of  their 
friends  and  kindred,  the  father  named  John,*  though  none 
of  their  family  had  borne  that  name  before.  licreupon 
good  old  Zacharias,  seeing  the  finger  of  God  so  manifest- 
ly appear  according  to  the  predictions  relating  to  his  fami- 
ly, burst  into  a  holv  rapture  ;  the  same  power  that  at 
■first  had  miraculously  bound  his  tongue,  did  now  as  won- 
derfully loosen  it,  to  give  praise  to  the  Almighty  God 
who  had  wrought  such  prodigies  among  them. 

And  now  the  time  was  at  hand,  when  the  great  joy  that 
the  birth  of  the  baptist  had  occasioned,  should  be  aug- 
mented by  the  more  miraculous  birth  of  the  Saviour  of 
the  world,  which  uas  to  be  the  perfect  completion  of 
what  the  angel  Gabriel  had  promised  to  both  their  mo- 
thers. The  Holy  Virgin  therefore  having  returned  from 
Hebron  to  Nazareth,  Joseph  prepares  to  consummate  his 
marriage  with  his  espoused  ^vife  ;  when,  to  his  great  amaze-r 
ment,  she  was  observed  to  be  advanced  in  a  state  of  preg- 
nancy. Though  the  seeming  disappointment  deeply  affec- 
ted him,  yet  being  of  a  gentlet  disposition,  he  was  unwilling 


•  yobn.  In  the  Hebrew  language  this  name  signifies  The  ^r ace  of  God ,-  and 
it  was  fitly  given  the  fore-runner  of  the  Messi.ah,  who  came  to  establish  the  king- 
dom of  righteousness. 

f  Gentle  or  merciful,  &c.  This  in  our  translation  is  rendered  just,  Mat.  i.  19  ; 
but  words  which  signify  Just  and  Justice  in  the  Hebrew,  frequently  signify  also 
Merciful  and  Mercy.  The  design  therefore  of  the  author  who  employs  them,  de- 
termines their  signification.  V.  cannot  then  be  said,  that  St.  Matthew  designed 
to  represent  Joseph  as  a  man  who  observed  the  most  exact  rules  of  justice,  since, 


220  A  Complete  liistonj 

to  expose  the  honour  of  the  family,  wliich  he  conceived  she 
had  stained,  or  her  to  inevitable  death,  according  to  the 
sentence  of  the  law  :  and  therefore  the  better  to  conceal  the 
disgrace  of  the  famil}-,  as  he  thought,  he  resolves  to  divorce 
her  privately.  But  while  he  laboured  under  these  anxious 
deliberations,  an  angel  of  God  appeared  to  him  in  a  dream, 
and  with  this  comfortable  message  dispels  his  uneas}^ 
cares  :  Fear  not,  Joseph,  thou  son  of  David,  to  take  Mary 
thy  wife ;  for  she  is  innocent,  and  that  which  she  has  con- 
ceived is  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  by  the  virtue  and  power  of 
the  Most  High  :  and  she  shall  bring  forth  a  son,  whose 
name  by  the  heavenly  decree  is  to  be  called  Jesus,  who  shall 
free  mankind  from  the  slavery  of  sin  and  death.  Joseph 
;^waking,  acknowledges  the  heavenly  vision ;  and  in  obedi- 
ence to  the  divine  command,  takes  the  sacred  ^^irgin  home, 
"'.vith  whom  to  outward  appearance  he  lived  in  conjugal 
Jove,  though  he  knew  her  not  till  she  was  delivered  of  her 
first-born  son*  ;  which  soon  after  came  to  pass  in  as  won- 
derful a  manner  as  had  been  predicted,  f 


according  to  the  law,  instead  of  putting  the  blessed  Virgin  away,  he  should  have 
made  her  a  public  example,  and  had  her  stoned  to  death,  Deut.  xxii.  23.  The 
y^ord  therefore  should  have  been  rendered  Humane  or  Merciful,  as  St.  Chrysostom 
has  remarked. 

*  First-born  Son.  The  word  First-born  is  ambiguous  :  for,  1st,  Sometimes 
it  signifies  one  that  is  first-born,  without  respect  to  any  following  children* 
as  when  Christ  is  called  the  first-born  of  Mary,  in  Mat.  i.  25.  2dly,  Some- 
limes  it  signifies  the  eldest  of  two  or  more  brethren,  as  when  the  Scripture 
calls  Eliab  the  first-born  of  Jesse,  1  Sam.  xvii.  13-  Sdly.  This  word  is 
takfeH  figuratively  to  signify  those  v/e  dearly  love,  because  parents  frequently 
lov^itilieir  first-born  best ;  as  in  the  example  of  Isaac  with  respect  to  Esau 
and  of  Joseph  to  Manasseh :  and  God  himself  calls  the  Israelites  the  first-born, 
which,  to  avoid  ambiguity,  might  have  been  translated,  "  That  God  gave  to  the 
Israelites  marks  of  the  most  tender  affection."  4thly ,  The  first-born  signifies  that 
which  is  most  remarkable  either  for  greatness  and  excellency,  or  meanness  and 
v/ant ;  as  v.'hen  God  calls  the  Ephraimites  his  first-born,  and  when  Moses  pro- 
phecies pf  the  tribe  of  Joseph,  that  his  glory  should  be  like  the  firstlings  of  his 
bullocks  ;  that  is,  equal  in  strength  to  the  strongest  of  those  a*nimals.  So  God 
promises  to  David,  or  Solopion,  to  make  him  the  first-born  of  the  kings  of  the 
earth;  whereas,  in  respect  to  their  birth,  both  were  younger  brothers  of  their 
family.  On  the  contrary,  when  the  Scripture  spealcs  of  extreme  misery  or  want, 
it  expresses  theni  by  the  first-born  of  the  dead,  and  the  first-born  of  the  poor;  that 
is  to  say,  persons  exposed  to  the  most  cruel  death,  and  to  the  deepest  poverty. 


of  the  Ilohj  Bible.  '    221 

In  the  time  of  Au.G^ustus  Caesar  a  decree*  was  issued  to 
take  an  account  of  the  estates  of  all  the  countries  and  peo- 
ple subject  to  the  Romiin  empire;  and  Cyrenius  Ijcint; 
governor  of  Syria,  (in  which  province  Palestine  was  in- 
cluded) he  was  to  enrolf  that  part  of  the  empire.  In  con- 
sequence of  which,  every  one  repairs  to  his  own  city  to 
have  his  name  registered,  and  his  goods  rated,  that  the  em- 
peror mi£»:ht  know  the  wealth  of  every  country,  city,  and 
family.  In  this  critical  juncture  it  was  that  Mary,  the  es- 
poused wife   of  Joseph,  though  very  near  her  time,  was 


Therefore  when  this  expression  is  used  in  the  New  Testament,  it  ought  to  be 
reduced  to  its  proper  signification.  Thus,  if  instead  of  calling  our  Saviour  the 
first-born  Son  of  Mary,  they  had  called  him  her  Son,  St.  Jerome  had  not  to  ansv/er 
Helvidius,  who  from  this  phrase  took  occasion  to  maintain  that  the  Virgin  had 
other  children  besides  our  Saviour,  and  Helvidius  had  had  no  followers.  If  instead 
of  calling  our  Saviour  the  first-born  of  many  brethren,  Rom.  viii.  29,  the  first- 
born of  all  the  creatures.  Col.  i- 15,  and  the  first-born  of  God,  Heb.  i.  6,  they  had 
translated,  That  he  is  the  most  august  or  most  glorious  of  many  brethren,  the  most 
excellent  or  the  most  favoured  of  ail  creatures;  the  most  dearly  beloved  Son  of 
God  :  Arius  and  his  followers  had  never  imagined  that  Christ  was  the  first  of  all 
the  creatures.  If  when  he  is  called  in  the  oi-iginal  the  first  begotten  of  the  dead' 
Rev.  i.  15,  they  had  rendered.  That  he  is  the  Sovereign  or  most  illustrious  of  the 
dead,  there  would  be  no  need  of  such  long  commentaries  upon  this  expression,  as 
the  most  learned  divines  do  acknowledge. 

•f-  Predicted.  The  adversaries  of  Christianity  may  cavil  as  they  please,  and 
invent  many  objections  to  the  scheme  of  the  incarnation,  and  deciy  the  whole  as 
absurd  and  impossible  ;  but  surely,  admitting  the  omnipotence  of  God,  who  origi- 
nally "  formed  man  of  the  dust  of  the  ground,''  we  must  also  admit  that  it  was 
easy  for  him,  by  this  method,  or  any  other  which  he  might  choose,  to  prepare  a 
spotless  body  for  the  residepceof  his  own  Son,  "  Is  any  thing  too  hard  for  Jehovah!" 
''  Great  is  the  mystery  of  godliness,  God  was  manifest  in  the  flesh,"  1  Tim.  iii.  16 

This  most  stupendous  subject  is  to  be  studied,  not  in  the  spirit  of  cold  indif^ 
ference,  or  of  daring  speculation,  but  with  humble  and  devout  affections,  till  the 
fire  of  diviue  love  burn  within  us,  and  constrain  us  to  sing  aloud  with  the  holy 
mother — "  My  soul  doth,  magnify  the  Lord,  and  my  spirit  haih  rejoiced  in  God 
MV  Saviour,"  Luke  i.  46. 

*  Decree.     Luke  ii.  1. 

-J-  Enrol.  This  was  not  an  exacting  of  tribute  or  taxation,  but  a  setting  down 
or  enrolling  every  person  according  to  his  family  and  estate  :  according  to  which 
the  vulgar  Latin  expresses  «^c>g:f?s2-3-5t<  by  Profiteri,  Luke  i.  3,  they  went  to  tel 
>vhat  they  were  worth,  which  was  in  order  to  be  taxed.- 


222^  A  Complete  History 

obliged  to  accompany  her  husband  Joseph  to  Bethlehem 
to  be  enrolled  ;  where,  by  the  singular  appointment  of 
God,  she  brought  forth  her  first-born  in  a  stable,  the  vilest 
part  of  the  inn,  and  most  remote  from  help  at  such  a  time  : 
which  undoubtedly  did  very  much  enhance  the  miracle, 
her  delivery  being  as  wonderful  as  her  conception.* 

Though  the  birth  of  our  Saviour,  in  all  outward  ap- 
pearance, was  in  the  most  mean  and  abject  manner,  and 
seemingly  unbecoming  the  majesty  of  heaven ;  yet  there 
M^ere  several  extraordinary  circumstances  which  attended 
it,  and  plainly  intimated  that  he  was  the  Son  of  God. 
He  was  jIO  sooner  born,  but  a  messenger  from  heaven  pro- 
claimed his  birth  to  the  world,  and  in  the  field  of  Bethle- 
hem astonished  and  rejoiced  the  shepherdsf  with  the  hap- 
py news  of  the  nativity  of  Christ|  the  Lord,  born  in  the 
city  of  David,  directing  them  to  the  place  where  he  was 
laid  ;  and  immediately  after  the  celestial  choir  welcome 
him  into  the  world  VviUi  this  harmonious  chorus,  '*  Glory 
"  to  God  in  the  highest,  peace  on  earth,  and  good- will  to- 
*'  wards  men." 

The  shepherds  filled  with  joy  and  wonder  at  this  strange 
and  glorious  sight,  hasten  to  Bethlehem  to  prove  the  truth 
of  these  things ;  where  tiiey  no  sooner  arrive  but  they  see 
the  Virgin-J  lother,  and  Joseph  the  supposed  father,  at- 
tendinsrihe  i.>;od-Iike  babe  in  the  mansier,  whom  in  humble 
reverence  tliey  adore,  and  in  awful  silence  admire  the 
goodness  of  God  :  and,  when  they  had  gratified  their  de- 
lighted eyes  with  these,  miraculous  transactions,  joyfully 


•  Conctption.  It  ^vas  always  the  opinion  of  the  church,  (saith  bishop  Tay- 
lor) that  as  there  was  no  sin  in  the  conception,  so  neither  had  the  Virgin  any  pains 
in  the  product-on  :  for  to  her  alone  the  punishment  of  Eve  did  not  extend.  That 
in  sorrow  slie  should  bring  forth.  And  therefore  where  nothing  of  sin  was  an  in- 
■gi-edient,  there  misery  could  not  enter. 

f  Sbsphcrds.  The  angci's  moral  in  the  circumstance  of  his  address  to  the  poor 
shepherds  cf  Bethlehem  is,  That  none  are  fit  to  come  to  Christ  but  those  who  are 
poor  in  spirit,  desjjisers  of  the  world,  and  simple  in  their  hearts,  without  secular 
design  or  craft ;  and  therefore  the  angel  did  not  apply  to  Herod,  nor  to  the  Scribes 
and  Pharisees,  whose  ambition  had  ends  contrary  to  the  simplicity  and  poverty  oi 
the  birth  cf  J  sus. 

1  Christ.  Luke  ii.  11,  and  14.  See  the  note  above  on  the  word  nothing,  page  218. 


of  the  Holy  BiLle.  223 

disperse  the  astonishing  ncu's  among  tlicir  neighbours, 
n'hich  ahke  afteetcd  all  that  heard  them. 

Seven  days  being  expired  after  the  birth  of  our  Saviour, 
he  is  circumcised  on  the  eighth  day,  as  the  law  appointed, 
and  named  Jesus,  which  name  was  foretold  his  mother 
before  he  was  conceived ;  and  therefore  it  was  not  to  be 
considered  as  a  name  gi\en  him  by  human  opinion  or  in- 
tention, or  the  will  of  his  parents,  but  by  divine  authori- 
ty, he  being  long  before  decreed  to  be  the  Saviour, 
which  this  his  name  implies. 

Though  the  people  in  the  place  of  his  birth  seemed  to 
take  little  notice  of  him,  and  hitherto  none  but  poor  shep- 
herds by  a  revelation  from  heaven  had  paid  any  acknow- 
ledgment to  him  ;  yet  to  denote  his  high  birth,  and  to 
witness  liis  divinity,  a  star*  appeared  in  the  Kast,  which 
moved  the  curiosity  of  three  wise  menf  to  travel  to  Jeru- 
salem to  worship  him.     This  alarmed  Herod,±  and  imme- 


•  Stdr.  This  word  signifies  an  extraordinary  star  appearing  in  the  heaven,  ob- 
served by  the  Magi  to  differ  froro  the  ordinary  stars,  and  seme  way  interpreted  to 
them  to  be  the  index  or  finger  to  point  out  this  miraculous  birth. 

f  Wise  Men.  The  Greek  word  M«>5/,  signifies  not  only  those  we  commonly 
call  magicians,  that  is,  sorcerers,  but  also  philosophers,  learned  men,  students  of 
the  liberal  sciences,  especially  of  astronomy.  These  were  then  famous  among  the 
Persians,  and  were  both  their  kings  and  priests,  as  well  as  among  other  nations. 
The  time  of  their  coming  is  not  distinctly  known.  St.  Matthew  ii.  13,  says. 
That  after  the  wise  men's  departure  the  angel  appeared  to  Joseph,  and  dispatch- 
ed hint  into  Egypt,  which  could  not  be  before  Mary's  purification  ;  for  then  St. 
Luke  says,  ii.  22,  they  went  up  to  Jerusalem,  which  cannot  be  supposed  after  their 
going  into  Egypt,  nor  between  the  departure  of  the  Magi  and  their  going  thither, 
for  that  had  been  to  throw  themselves  into  Herod's  hands  at  Jerusalem,  which 
they  were  commanded  to  avoid  by  going  into  Egj-pt.  From  Jerusalem  therefore 
they  returned  to  Bethlehem,  and  dwelt  there  till  the  coming  and  departure  of  the 
Magi:  and  therefore  the  tradition,  which  makes  the  Epiphany  the  twelfth  day 
from  the  nativity,  may  mean  it  of  that  time  twelve-montli ;  according  to  which  k 
is,  that,  upon  exact  enquiring  the  time  of  the  star's  appearing,  Herod,  Mat.  ii. 
16,  appoints  the  killingof  all  the  children  from  two  years  oid  and  under;  which 
probably  he  would  not  have  done,  if  they  had  informed  liim  that  the  star  appear- 
ed but  a  few  days  before, 

\  Herod  having  by  fraud  usurped  the  kingdom  of  Judea,  endeavours  to  maiii- 
tain  his  ill-gotten  title  by  the  muidcr  of  the  lu7.'fiil  heir;.    The  first  of  whom,  a,'; 


224  A  Complete  Ilistonj 

diately  afiected  him  w'lih  jealousy,  and  put  him  upon  en- 
quiring into  die  matter.  To  be  farther  satisfied,  he  called 
a  synod  ot"  the  Chief-Priests  and  Scribes,  and  demanded 
of  them  where  Christ  should  be  born  :  they  tell  him  at 
Bethlehem  in  Judea,  accc«-ding  to  what  the  prophet  Mi- 
cah,  ch.  V.  ver.  2,  had  foretold,  "  But  thou  Bethlehem, 
though  thou  be  little  among  the  thousands  of  Judah,  yet 
out  of  thee  shall  He  come  forth  unto  me  that  is  to  be  ru- 
ler in  Israel,  whose  goings  forth  have  been  from  of  old, 
from  everlasting. " 

This  was  so  far  from  affording  any  satisfaction  to  Herod, 
that  it  rather  inflamed  and  increased  his  jealousy,  which 
craftily  he  concealed.  Calling  for  the  wise  men  privately, 
he  examines  them  about  the  appearance  of  the  star,  and 
pretended  he  would  send  them  to  Bethlehem,  in  quest  of 
the  child,  that  when  they  had  discovered  where  he  was, 
they  should  intimate  the  same  to  him,  that  he  also  might 
come  and  worship  him.  But  God  disappointed  Herod's 
treachery.  The  wise  men  went  to  Bethlehem,  the  star 
which  they  had  before  seen  in  the  East  being  their  guide, 
Vv  hich  went  before  them  till  they  came  to  the  place  where 
the  Son  of  God  was.  Into  whose  presence  being  admitted^ 
they  paid  him  the  most  solemn  adoration,  and  presented 
him  with  the  richest  productions  of  their  country,  gold, 
frankincense,  and  myrrh.  Having  performed  their  con- 
gratulatory embassy  in  this  solemn  manner,  they  prepared 
to  return  to  Jerusalem,  to  acquaint  Herod  with  the  disco- 
very they  had  made  ;  but  God,  whose  infinite  wisdom  and 
all- searching  eye  beheld  the  wickedness  and  insincerity  of 
Herod,  who  had  no  other  design  by  sending  these  three 
wise  men  to  find  out  the  babe  but  to  destroy  him,  admo- 
nishes them  in  a  vision  not  to  acquaint  Herod  with  wdiat 


we  have  seen  in  the  preceding  pages,  was  Kircanus  the  High-Priest.  Secondly, 
Aristcbulus,  nephew  of  Hircanus,  and  High -Priest.  Thirdly,  Mariamne  his  wife, 
aad  daughter  of  Hivcanus.  Fourthly,  Alexandra,  the  mother  of  Mariamne. 
Fifthly,  Alexander  and  Aristobulus,  hissonsby  Marlamiic.  Sixthly,  Antipater, 
his  son  by  another  wife.  These  were  his  reasons  for  murdering  the  innocents, 
among  whom  he  hoped  Christ  would  have  fallen,  \'f  ho  now  sesasgd  his  only  survi- 
ving competitor. 


of  the  Holy  Bible.  225 

\\\ty  had  sccn^  but  to  return  home  to  their  country  another 

uay. 

After  the  circumcision  of  the  holy  infant,  the  next 
ceremonies  to  be  performed,  according  to  the  custom 
of  the  law,  were  the  purification  of  the  Virgin-mother, 
and  the  presentation  of  her  first-born  ;  which  solemnities 
were  to  be  performed  forty  days  after  the  nativity,  pub- 
licly in  the  temple,  by  reason  of  the  offering  to  be  made 
there  :  which  in  pursuance  of  the  law  was  done,  the  Holy 
Virgin  humbly  submitting  to  the  law,  which  enjoined 
women  to  purify  themselves,  though  she  had  no  need  of 
it,  her  blessed  Son,  who  \\as  purity  itself,  having  sub- 
mitted to  the  rite  of  circumcision.  After  so  divine  and 
miraculous  a  birth,  she  repaired  to  the  temple  with  the 
sacred  infant  to  present  him  to  the  Lord,  who  continued 
to  evince  to  the  world  his  having  sent  his  Son  to  redeem 
it :  for  in  the  great  concourse  of  people  that  attended  on 
this  solemn  occasion,  there  appeared  two  persons  eminent 
for  piety,  who,  being  urged  by  the  divine  impulse  of 
the  Spirit,  came  to  give  an  illustrious  testimony  to  their 
Saviour.  Simeon,  a  man  just  before  God,  and  who  wait- 
ed for  the  consolation  of  Israel,  having  God's  promise 
that  he  should  not  depart  this  life  before  he  had  seen  the 
Lord^s  Anointed,  when  through  the  light  of  his  faith  he 
had  discovered  God  thus  hidden  under  the  meanness  of 
human  infancy,  and  the  promise  which  God  had  made 
him,  thus  accomplished,  transported  with  an  holy  joy,  he 
took  the  blessed  infant  in  his  arms,  and  in  an  ecstasy  sung, 
"  Lord  now  lettest  thou  thy  servant  depart  in  peace  ac- 
cording to  thy  word  :  for  mine  eyes  have  seen  thy  salva- 
tion. A  light  to  lighten  the  Gentiles  and  the  glory  of  thy 
people  Israel."  And  whilst  the  Holy  Virgin  and  the  rest 
of  this  pious  assembly  rejoiced  at  what  this  good  man  ut- 
tered, an  holy  and  venerable  widow,  named  Anna,  came 
likewise  into  the  temple,  and  added  her  public  praises  and 
acknowledgments  to  those  which  Simeon  had  already 
given  of  the  Saviour.  Her  exemplary  life  gave  authority 
to  what  she  said ;  for  after  seven  years'  marriage  she  had 
past  all  the  rest  of  her  life  to  her  eighty -fourth  year  in  acts 
of  piety  and  devotion,  praying  and  fasting  continually,  and 

Vol.  II.  F  f 


226  A  Complete  History 

constantly  frequenting  the  temple  at  the  accustomed  hours  ' 
of  perforniiiig    those  duties,  while  the  eminency  of  her 
character  made  a  deep  impression  on  all  who  heard  her 
affirming  that  this  infant  w;is  the  Messiah  sent  into  the 
"\vorld  for  the  redemption  of  Israel. 

These  ceremonies  being  performed  in  the  temple  at 
Jerusalem,  they  returned  home  to  Belhleh^my  where 
they  dwelt  till  after  the  coming  and  departure  of  the  wise 
men  in  all  apparent  security,  nursing  the  holy  babe,  and 
not  in  the  least  suspecting  the  wicked  designs  or  attempts 
of  any  enemy.  But  the  eye  of  Providence  was  more 
watchful :  God,  who  knew  the  insincerity  of  Herod's 
heart,  resolved  to  disappoint  him,  and  sent  an  angel  to 
Jcjseph,  to  warn  him  of  the  a])proaching  danger  that 
threatened  the  holy  child  ;  informing  him  of  Herod's  cruel 
design  to  destroy  the  infant,  and  commanding  him  to  re- 
tire into  Eg}  pt  with  him  and  his  mother,  and  there  to  re- 
jinain  till  he  should  direct  him  farther.  Joseph,  who  before, 
this  had  been  acquainted  with  the  divine  visitation,  dis- 
puted not  the  celestial  message  ;  but  in  a  dutiful  obedience 
to  God,  and  fear  for  his  sacred  charge,  immediately  pre- 
pared for  their  escape  ;  and  taking  the  advantage  of  the 
'  night  to  prevent  a  discovery,  travelled  to  El,gypt,  where 
these  holy  pilgrims  remained  secure,  under  the  protection 
of  heaven. 

Herod  having  long  and  impatiently  expected  the  return 
of  the  wise  men,  and  finding  himself  deluded  by  them, 
impiously  resolved  to  gratify  and  secure  himself  another 
way,  intending  such  a  scene  of  blood  as  he  vainly  thought 
must  inevitilbly  determine  this  young  king's  reign,  whom 
his  jealousy  suggested  was  come  to  supplant  him  in  his 
ill-gotten  dominion.  Nothing  less  than  a  general  massa- 
cre* of  all  the  male-children  in  Bethlehem,  and  the  country 
around  to  two  years  old,  could  glut  this  monster's  cruelty, 
and  thinking  it  impossible  in  so  universal  a  slaughter  that 
any  could  escape  liim.     Thus  he  resolved,  but  heaven 


*  Massacre.  This  execution  was  in  the  beginning  of  the  second  year  after 
Christ's  nativity,  and  net  at  the  two  years'  end,  as  some  suppose.  Tlie  number 
of  children  slain  at  this  time  is  said  to  have  been  fourteen  thousand. 


of  the  IIolij  Bible. 


227 


I 


had  othcn\  ise  decreed  ;  for  by  this  time  the  intended  prc\ 
Mas  out  ol'  his  reach  ;  and  sale  under  the  wings  of  Provi- 
dence. 

Herod  is  not  tardy  in  putting  his  blood}'  resolution 
into  execution.  Gnilt  and  malice  soon  furnishinu:  him 
with  instriunents  suitable  to  his  cruel  purpose,  whoia 
he  disperses  in  all  parts  to  execute  his  bloody  commands, 
and  without  pity  or  distinction  murder  all  the  male  chil- 
dren in  Bethlehem,  and  in  all  the  confines  of"  it,  who  were 
not  above  two  years  old.  Then  was  wofuliv  verified  the 
prophecy  of  Jeremiah,  chap.  xxxi.  ver.  15,  "Rachel* 
"  weeping  for  her  children,  and  would  not  be  comforted." 
The  shrieks  of  tender  mothers  for  their  mangled  babes, 
and  the  groans  of  expiring  infants  fill  the  skies  :  death  and 
remediless  despair  raging  in  every  place,  and  tlie  surface 
of  the  earth  crimsoned  with  innocent  blood. 

During  these  cruel  transactions  God  had  provided  a 
sanctuary  in  Egypt  foj'  the  holy  child  Jesus,  a  chain  of 
prophecies  f   exactly  concurring   in   every  minute  parti- 


•  Rachel.  This  part  of  Jeremiah's  prophecy  was  spoken  figuratively  of  the 
■captivity  of  Babylon,  and  the  slaughter  at  Jerusalem,  long  after  Rachel's  death, 
who  is  here,  though  long  before  dead,  said  to  lament ;  and  so  also  it  hath  here  a 
second  completion  in  this  slaughter  of  the  infants:  and  Rachel,  the  mother  of 
Benjamin,  of  which  tribe,  with  that  of  Judah,  the  Jews  were  chiefly  composed,  is 
likewise  here  figuratively  introduced,  lamenting  the  slaughter,  as  of  her  children. 

f  Prophecies.  St.  Matt.  ch.  ii.  ver.  25,  alludes  to  that  text  in  Hosea,  xi.  1, 
"  Out  of  Egypt  have  I  called  m}"  Son ;"  which  had  one  accomplishment  wheti  the 
people  of  Israel  were  carried  into,  and  delivered  out  of  Egypt,  and  was  now  again 
fulfilled  in  this  true  promised  seed  of  Abraham,  that  is,  in  Christ,  (of  whom  Is- 
rael, called  God's  first-bom,  was  a  t)-pe)  and  in  him,  now  that  he  was  a  child,  as 
it  was  said  in  Hosea.  And  to  this  pui-pose  it  may  be  considered,  how  fitly  Joseph 
was  a  type  of  Christ,  as  he  is  represented  to  us  in  the  History  of  his  Flight  into, 
and  return  from  Eg)'pt:  for  as  Joseph  was  by  his  brethren  sold  into  Egypt,  so  is 
Christ  by  the  persecution  of  Herod  driven  thither  :  as  Joseph  wab  separated  from 
his  brethren,  and  cast  out  from  among  them,  so  was  Christ  for  fear  of  Archelaus 
separated  from  his  own  tribe  of  Judah,  and  constrained  to  dwell  in  Nazareth  of 
Galilee,  whose  name  may  denote  that  flight  or  separation  ;  and  may  likewise  sig- 
nify an  afflicted  or  humbled  person,  which  may  be  applicable  to  Christ's  being 
brought  up  in  Nazareth  ;  a  poor  place  (can  any  good  come  out  of  Mazareth  ')  and 
so  a  special  part  of  Clirist's  humiliation  to  reside  there- 


228  ^  Complete  History 

ciilar,  as  had  been  foretold  some  centuries  before,  and 
most  agreeably  and  properly  accommodated  to  the  person 
of  our  Saviour,  of  whom  several  persons  in  the  Old  Tes- 
tament had  been  types. 

The  holy  pilgrims  having  tarried  nearly  seven  years  (as 
it  is  commonly  believed)  in  Egypt,  Joseph  was  assured  by 
an  angel  of  the  death  of  Herod,  and  commanded  to  return 
to  the  land  of  Israel  with  his  holy  charge.  He  readily 
obeys  the  heavenly  vision,  and  returns :  but  hearing  that 
Archelaus  succeeded  his  father  in  Judea,  and  fearing  that 
the  cruelty  and  ambition  of  Herod  might  be  entailed  upon 
the  son,*  and  being  also  warned  of  God  in  a  dream  to 
turn  aside  into  the  parts  of  Galilee,  (which  was  a  distinct 
jurisdiction,  governed  indeed  by  one  of  Herod's  sons,  but 
not  by  Archelaus,)  he  withdrew  thither:  and  there  this 
holy  family  remained  in  the  city  of  Nazareth. f 

From  their  return  out  of  Egypt  to  Judea,  and  their 
habitation  in  Nazareth,  till  the  blessed  child  Jesus  was 
twelve  years  of  age,  M'C  have  nothing  transmitted  to  us 
out  of  any  authentic  record,  but  that  they  went  to  Jeru- 
salem every  year  at  the  feast  of  the  passover,  which  oppor- 
tunities of  religion,  and  public  address  to  God  in  the  rites 
and  solemnities  of  the  temple,  they  had  been  denied  during 
their  peregrination  in  Egypt.  But  being  returned  to  their 
own  country,  they  again  enjoyed  the  blessings  of  those 
holy  societies  and  employments,  of  which  they  had  been 
so  long  deprived.  At  the  feast  therefore  of  the  passover, 
when  Jesus  was  twelve  years  old,  and  in  the  holy  city,  at- 
tending upon  the  paschal  rites  and  solemn  sacrifices  of  the 


Dr.  Doddridge  is  of  opinion,  with  Grotius,  Huinsius,  and  other  critics,  that  the 
reference  made  to  Hosea  xi.  1,  is  merely  in  the  way  oi  allusion,  as  also  the  passage 
which  refers  to  Jeremiah's  prophecy. 

*  Son.  Archelaus,  in  the  very  beginning  of  his  reign,  massacred  threethou- 
j,and  Jews  at  one  time  in  the  temple. 

f  Nazareth.  It  was  said,  iit  effect  at  least,  by  many  of  the  prophets,  "  He 
shall  be  called  a  Nazareen,"  that  is,  he  shall  appear  in  despicable  circumstances, 
and  be  treated  contemptuously.  But,  as  we  do  not  find  the  above  sentence  literally 
in  any  of  the  prophets,  we  must  conclude,  with  Chrysostom,  that  if  such  a  sentence 
originally  existed,  it  has  been  lost. 


of  the  Holy  Bible.  229 

law,  his  parents  liaving  fulfilled  their  days  of  festivity,  went 
liomeuard,  supposing  the  child  had  been  in  the  caravan 
among  his  friends,  and  thus  they  travelled  for  the  space 
of  a  whole  day's  journey  ;  but  when  they  sought  him 
among  their  kindred  and  acquaintance,  and  found  him  not, 
they  returned  to  Jerusalem  full  of  fear  and  sorrow.  Who 
can  express  the  painful  apprehensions  of  heart  \\  hich  then 
thronged  about  the  Holy  mother,  who  trembled  not  only 
for  the  loss  of  the  joy  of  her  family,  but  the  hopes  of  the 
whole  world?  What  did  not  her  foreb(  ding  mind  at  that 
time  suggest  to  her  upon  the  apprehension  of  a  loss  so  in- 
calculably great.  Possibly  an  angel  might  have  carried 
him  she  knew  not  whither ;  or  it  may  be  the  son  of  Herod, 
might  have  siezed  the  prey  which  his  cruel  father  h.>l 
missed.  Whilst  she  had  spent  some  time  under  these 
anxieties  of  mind,  in  her  sad  and  holy  pursuit  of  her  lost 
jewel,  despairing  of  the  prosperous  event  of  any  human 
diligence,  she  made  dier  address  to  God,  the  only  relief 
and  succour  of  distressed  minds ;  and  entering  into  the 
temple  to  pray,  God  who  knew  her  desires,  prevented  her 
Tiith  the  blessings  of  his  goodness,  and  her  sorrow  was 
turned  into  joy  and  wonder  :  for  there  she  found  her  Holy 
Son  sitting  in  the  midst  of  the  doctors,  both  hearing  aitd 
asking  them  questions. 

The  bare  sight  of  him  soon  effaced  their  care  and 
grief:  but  the  glad  parents  receive  this  addition  to  their 
joy,  they  find  him  illustrated  with  a  miracle ;  for  when 
they  saw  him,  they  were  amazed,  and  so  were  all  that 
heard  him,  at  his  understanding  and  answers,  beyond  his 
education  and  experience,  beyond  his  years,  and  even 
the  common  abilities  and  capacities  of  the  best  men,  dis- 
coursing and  disputing  with  the  learned,  with  the  power 
of  a  prophet,  with  the  brightness  of  an  angel,  and  the  in- 
fallibility of  inspiration  itself. 

The  Virgin-mother,  though  everjoj-ed  at  the  sight  of 
her  holy  child,  could  not  forbear  expressing  a  gentle  ad- 
monition to  him  for  the  great  alarm  he  had  excited,  say- 
ing, "  Son,  why  hast  thou  dealt  thus  with  us?"  Which 
he  modestly  excused  by  giving  this  account  of  himself; 
"  Why  should  yc  seek  me  ?  Knew  ye  not  that  I  must  be 


230  A  Complete  History 

about  my  father's  business*?"*  These  thmgs  Joseph  and 
the  rest  understood  not,  but  Mary  laid  them  up  in  her 
heart,  well  knowing  it  was  part  of  his  employment,  and 
his  father's  business  to  be  in  his  house,  where  she  had 
found  him. 

Being  thus  happily  recovered  by  his  parents,  he  returned 
with  them  to  Nazareth,  and  was  subject  to  them  in  all 
things,  lived  in  holiness  and  humility,  submitting  to  an 
ordinary  emplo}'ment,  which  he  undertook  in  obedience 
to  his  supposed  father,  and  for  the  support  of  that  holy 
family,  Avhich  was  dear  in  the  eyes  of  God,  though  not 
splendid  in  the  estimation  of  the  world.  He  is  said  to 
have  wrought,  with  his  o^vn  hands  in  the  business  of  a 
Cjirpenter ;  and  when  Joseph  died,  which  happened  be- 
fore the  manirc:v.<it!,on  of  Jesiis  unto  Israel,  he  wrought 
alone,  and  ^vas  no  more  called  "  the  carpenter's  son," 
but  "  the  carpenter."  "  Is  not  this  the  carpenter,  the  so!i 
of  Marv?"  said  his  oflended  eountrvmen,  Mark  vi.  3. 
And  in  this  condition  did  the  blessed  Jesus  abide  till  he 
was  thiriy  ye^irs  of  age  ;  for  he  that  came  to  fulfil  the 
law  would  not  s'iffer  one  tittle  of  it  to  pass  unaccomplish- 
ed :  for  by  the  law  of  tiie  nation,  and  custom  of  its  religi- 
on, no  pi'iest  was  to  officiate,  or  prophet  to  teach,  before 
he  was  thirty  )erjrs  of  age. 

What  a  pleasing  example  do  the  character  and  conduct 
of  Jesus  present  to  young  persons.  At  the  early  age  of 
twelve  years  he  discovers  the  most  affectionate  attach- 
ment to  the  house  and  service  of  God,  so  that  after  an 
attendance  to  religious  duties  for  several  days  successively, 
he  seems  unwilling  to  leave  the  sacred  spot !  What  a  con- 
trast to  this  is  the  reluctance  which  many  young  persons 
discover  to  all  religious  exercises,  however  short ;  and 
who  are  far  more  warmly  addicted  to  every  childish 
amusement  than  to  the  Sabbath,  the  Bible,  and  the  wor- 
ship of  God ! 


*  Father's  business.  The  Greek  renders  this  in  St.  Luke,  ch.  ii.  ver.  49.  ttv 
ToTc  Tou  TTctT^ic  in  his  father's  house  ;  so  that  it  seems  to  refer  to  the  place  where 
they  found  him,  that  is,  in  the  temple. 


of  the  Ilohj  Bible.  231 

At  twelve  }'ears  of  age  he  was  deeply  versed  in  the 
knowledge  of  the  law,  and  all  were  astonished  at  his  un- 
derstanding. Surely  this  may  reproach  many  professed 
Christians,  who  at  twice  or  thrioe  that  age,  remain  totally 
ignorant  of  the  grand  subjects  of  revelation  ! 

Notwithstanding,  however,  this  uncommon  superiority 
of  sacred  attainments,  "  he  was  subject  to  his  parents," 
he  did  not  renounce  his  obedience  to  Joseph  and  Mary, 
but  with  due  regard  to  their  authority,  he  returned  with 
them  to  dwell  at  the  mean  city  of  Nazareth.  No  talents, 
no  learning,  no  religious  zeal,  will  justify  young  persons 
in  the  neglect  of  that  plain  and  universal  precept,  "  Ho- 
"  nour  thv  father  and  thv  mother." 

Most  of  all  we  may  admire,  the  submission  of  this  in- 
comparable person  to  a  state  of  obscurity,  in  a  despicable 
country  town,  till  he  was  thirty  }ears  of  age,  little  known 
or  regarded.  What  astonishing  condescension  is  this,  and 
■what  a  lesson  to  us  all !  '*  He  made  himself  of  no  repu- 
tation," shall  we  then  be  impatient,  if  a  state  of  poverty, 
obscurity  and  labour,  be  allotted  to  us  ?  Or  shall  we  be 
transported,  by  an  indiscreet  zeal,  to  push  ourselves  for- 
ward to  public  notice  or  public  fuiictions  ?  "  Let  the  mind 
"  that  was  in  Christ  be  also  in  us,"  so  shall  we  best  de- 
serve the  name  of  Christians. 

State  qfJudea  in  our  Saviour'' s  time^  and  before. 

JuDEA  had  been,  as  we  have  already  seen,  brought  into 
subjection  to  the  Romans  by  Pompey,  who,  after  a  siege 
of  three  months,  took  Jerusalem  in  the  year  sixty-three, 
before  the  Christian  sera,  about  the  time  of  our  Midsum- 
mer. Josephus  always  dates  the  loss  of  their  liberty  fiom 
that  time.  The  same  is  said  by  Tacitus.  But  though 
the  Jewish  people  then  became  subject  to  the  Romans,  and 
it  may  be  said,  that  from  that  day  forward  the  rod  of  hea- 
ven hung  over  them,  they  enjoyed  many  privileges,  and 
the  freedom  of  their  worship,  under  the  mild  government 
of  those  masters,  as  appears  both  from  Josephus,  and  from 
the  historical  books  of  the  New  Testament ;  for  when  Pom- 
pey became  master  of  Jerusalem,  he  and  some  of  his  offi- 
/cers  entered  into  the  temple,  and  the  most  holy  places  (tf 


232  A  Complete  History 

it ;"  but  took  nothing  away.  There  were  then  in  it  the  ta- 
blcj  the  candlestick  with  its  kimps,  the  pouring  vessels, 
and  the  censers,  all  of  gold,  and  great  quantities  of  spices, 
and  two  thousand  talents  in  money ;  all  which  he  left  un- 
touched, and  the  day  after  he  gave  orders,  that  they  who 
had  the  charge  of  the  temple  should  cleanse  it,  and  per- 
form the  accustomed  sacrifices;  and  he  also  restored  the 
high  priesthood  to  Hircanus. 

And  that  after  this  the  Jewish  people  were,  sometimes 
at  least,  in  a  flourishing  condition,  appears  from  many  cir- 
cumstances. It  was  during  this  period,  that  Herod  re- 
paired the  temple.  Excepting  the  cloud  of  glory  with 
which  the  first  temple  had  been  favoured,  that  erected  by 
Herod  may  be  reckoned  to  have  been  equal  to  it  in  the 
splendor  and  magnificence  of  the  building,  and  in  rich  and 
costly  presents,  and  other  ornaments. 

When  the  JcAvish  people,  after  their  return  from  the  Ba- 
bylonish captivity,  laid  the  foundation  of  the  new  house, 
"  many  of  the  priests,  the  Levites,  and  chief  of  the  fathers, 
who  were  ancient  men,  wept  with  a  loud  voice,"  Ezra  iii. 
12.  But  God  encouraged  them  by  the  prophet  Haggai, 
in  this  manner;  ch.  ii.  3,  "  Who  is  left  among  you,  that 
saw  this  house  in  its  first  glory  ?  and  how  do  ye  see  it 
now  ?  Is  it  not  in  your  eyes,  in  comparison  of  it,  as  nothing? 
Yet  now  be  strong,  O  Zerubbabel,  saith  the  Lord — and 
be  strong,  all  ye  people  of  the  land,  and  work  :  for  I  am 
with  vou,  saith  the  Lord  of  Hosts — for  thus  saith  the  Lord 
of  Hosts,  I  will  shiike  all  nations.  And  the  desire  of  all 
nations  shall  come.  And  I  will  fill  this  house  with  glory, 
saith  the  Lord  of  Hosts,  The  silver  is  mine,  and  the  gold 
is  mine,  saith  the  Lord  of  Hosts.  The  glory  of  this  lat- 
ter house  shall  be  greater  than  that  of  the  former,  saith  the 
Lord  of  Hosts.  And  in  this  place  will  i  give  peace, 
saith  the  Lord  of  Hosts. 


Notwithstanding  the  innocent  blood  which  Herod  had 
caused  to  be  shed  in  Bethlehem,  his  soul  was  not  yet  sa- 
tiated, but  sought  for  more  in  the  adjacent  parts:  he 
hunted  the  country  around  to  glut  hi§  cruelty  ;  but  divine 
providence,  still  watching  over  its  own,  timely  withdrew 


oftha  Holy  Ihhle 


i^.).> 


J(j1iii  tlic  forerunner  of  our  Saviour  from  his  rapcufious  fury. 
Elizabeth  hearinj^,  it  is  said,  of  the  sad  havock  Herod's 
barbarity  liad  made  anionic  the  infants  of  Bethlehem, 
thoui^ht  her  son  not  secure  arnong  tlje  hills,  but  fled  with 
liim  inlotiie  wilderness,  whcfc  she  attended  hint  with  care 
and  tenderness.  John  was  about  eighteen  months  old  when 
his  mother  first  fled  with  him ;  and  his  father  Zacharias,  at 
the  time  of  his  mii.ist^rction,*  which  liappcned  about  this 
time,  was  killed,  it  is  supposed,  in  the  court  of  the  temple, 
Herod  resolving  to  revenge  the  disappointment  of  murder- 
ing the  son  tipoii  the  father  ;  so  that  tl^c  child  was  exposed 
to  all  the  dangers  of  an  orphan,  while  a  bloody  tyrant  en- 
deavoured his  destruction.  But  when  his  father  and  mother 
were  removed,  the  Lord  took  hiin  up,  as  lie  had  formerly 
done  to  Ishmacl  who  dwelt  in  the  wilderness,  and  to  Elias 
■when  he  fled  from  the  rage  of  Ahab  ;  so  to  this  child,  who 
came  in  the  spirit  and  power  of  Elias,  to  demonstrate  that 
there  can  be  no  want  where  God  undertakes  to  make  a 
provision. 

The  entertainment  that  St.  John  met  with  in  tlie  wil- 
derness, was  such  as  might  dispose  him  to  an  austere  life ; 
for  he  spent  his  time  in  contemplation  and  prayer,  feeding 
on  locusts*  and  wild  honey,  and  clothed  with  a  rough  gar- 
ment of  camel's  hair,  and  a  leathern  girdle,  till  the  tim^  of 


*  Minhtraiion.  Every  rank  or  course  of  priests  served  weekly  in  the  temple 
by  turns  ;  which  course  falling  out  by  lot,  they  determined  also  by  lot,  the  particular 
service  o£  the  priests,  who  shouldburn  incense,  slay  the  beasts,  lay  them  on  the 
altar,  dress  the  lamps,  &c.  Zacharias  was  of  the  couVse  of  Abia,  Lukei.  5,  that 
is,  of  the  eighth  course,  and  his  lot  was  to  burn  incense,  Luke  i.  9.  As  to  the 
death  of  Zacharias,  the  father  of  John  Baptist,  it  is  the  opinion  of  St.  Chrysos- 
tom,  Peter  Martyr,  TertuUian,  and  others,  that  it  was  he  that  Herod  slew  be. 
tween  the  temple  and  the  altar,  because  he  refused  to  betray  his  son  to  him  ;  espe- 
cially  TertuUian,  who  reports  it  with  this  circumstance,  which,  however,  has  too 
much  the  air  of  fiction  ;  that  the  blood  of  Zacharias  had  so  besmeared  the  stones 
of  the  pavement  where  he  was  murdered,  that  no  art  or  industry  could  wash  it 
out,  the  tincture  being  indelible  ;  as  if,  because  God  intended  to  exact  of  that  nation 
all  the  blood  of  the  righteous  from  Abel  to  Zacharias,  who  was  the  last  of  the 
martyrs  of  the  synagogue,  he  would  leave  a.  character  of  their  guilt  in  their  eyes 
to  upbraid  their  infidelity  and  cruelty. 

Vol.  n.  G  g 


254  A  Complete  His  fori/ 

.<,^,  his  public  appearance,  which  was  in  the  fifteenth  year  of  tli€ 
emperor  Tiberius ;  Pontius  Pilate  being  then  governor  of 
Judea,  when  the  word  of  God  came  to  John  in  the  wilder- 
ness, from  whence  he  departed^  and  went  into  all  the  coun- 
try round  about,  preaching  the  baptism  of  repentance  for 
the  remission  of  sins. 

St.  John,  according  to  the  prophecies  of  him,  and  the 
designation  of  his  person  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  was  the  fore- 
runner of  Christ,  sent  to  prepare  the  way  for  him,  and  to 
dispose  the  people  for  the  reception  of  him  ;  and  therefore 
it    \vas  necessary  he    should    in    his  person   appear  emi- 
nent for  sanctity,  and  extraordinarily  great  in  all  the  oc- 
currences and  circumstances  of  his  life,  so  as  he  might 
gain  credit  to  the  testimony  he  was  to  give  concerning 
the  Lord  the  Saviour  of  the  world.    And  this  the  Baptist's 
character  most  exactly  answered ;  for  at  his  quitting  the 
solitary  desert  he  seemed  what  indeed  he  was,  an  excel- 
lent person.     The  contempt  of  the  world,  which  he  bore, 
with    his   mortified  deportment,  his  austere  life,  and  his 
admirable  zeal  in  preaching,  created  so  high  an  opinion  of 
him  among  the  people,  that  all  held  him  for  a  prophet, 
especially  v\  hen  by  his  baptism  he  added  a  greater  solemnity 
to  his  office.     By  this  he  so  prevailed,  that  he  made  a  sui- 
table preparation  for  the  Lord's  appearing.     And  now  it 
was,  that  multitudes  thronged  from  all  parts  of  the  country, 
to  hear  the  joyful  news  of  salvation  from  the  month  of  the 
l^aptist :  cities  and  towns  were  deserted,  whilst  the  spaci- 
ous fields  were  crouded  with  their  inhabitants.    Jerusalem, 
Judea,  and  all  the  country  about  Jordan,  which  hear   his 
doctrine,  which  he  delivered  with  force  and  power,  severely 
reprehending  the  Pharisees  and  Sadducees,   exhorting  the 
people  to  works  of  mercy,  the  publicans  to  decline  oppres- 
sion, and  to  do  justice ;  tlie  soldiers  to  abstain  from  plun- 
der and  violence  ;   declaring  he  was  not  the  Christ,  that 
he  only  baptized  with  water,  but  that  the  Messiah  should 


*  Locusts.  Commentators  differ  respecting  these  locusts.  The  insect  properi}- 
so  called  is  yet  however  used  for  food  by  many  of  the  natives  of  Arabia,  and  the 
coasts  of  the  Red  Sea  ;  and  Judea,  produced  so  much  honey,  that  in  several  places 
of  scripture,  it  is  said,  «'  to  flow  with  honey,"  which  was  frequently  found  in  the 
tfunkgof  trees,  and  in  the  cleftflof  the  rocks. 


of  the  Holy  Bible.  235 

Saptize  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  with  fire  ;  and  this  was 
the  joyful  dawn  of  the  gospel,  to  wliich  St.  John  Biiptist 
was  like  the  morning  star,  foretelling  the  approach  of  the 
Sun  of  righteousness,  who  was  just  about  to  enlighten  the 
world  ^\  iih  his  presence. 

The  full  time  being  come,  Jesus  took  leave  of  his  mo- 
ther and  his  kindred,  to  commence  his  public  ministry,' 
and  take  upon  him  the  prophetical  office  which  he  was 
to  sustain.*  Now  whilst  St.  John  was  baptizing  the  peo- 
ple at  the  river  Jordan,  J<:sus  himself  came  to  him  to 
be  baptized  of  him  :  but  the  baptist,  who,  it  should  seem, 
had  ne\'er  before  seen  his  face,  being  by  the  Hoi}'  Ghost  in- 
spired with  a  discerning  spirit,  at  his  first  arrival  knew  him, 
and  paid  him  reverence;  for  when  Jesus  desired  to  be 
baptized,  John  declined  it,  saying,  *'  I  have  need  to  be 
baptized  of  thee,  and  comest  thou  to  me?"  John  was 
atonished  that  the  Messiah,  the  Lamb  of  God,  pure  and 
without  sjx>t,  wIk)  needed  not  the  cleansing  of  repentance, 
or  the  washing  of  baptism,  should  demand  it,  and  of  him 
a  sinner,  and  his  servant.  But  though  he  was  no  sinner 
himself,  yet  was  he  "  made  sin  for  us,*^'  and  therefore  it 
was  proper  for  him  to  submit  to  an  ordinance,  denoting 
the  impurity  of  the  subject,  for  he  was  designed  to  bear 
the  punishment  of  sin,  in  Ix^half  of  his  people.  Accord- 
ingly therefore  the  holy  Jesus  who  came,  as  he  declares 
in  his  answer  to  the  baptist's  question,  to  fulfil  all  righte- 
ousness, would  receive  that  rite  which  his  Father  had  ap- 
pointed in  order  to  the  manifestation  of  his  Son. 

John,  having  by  the  impulse  of  the  Holy  Spirit  already 
descried  the  Saviour  of  the  World,  who  offered  himself 
to  be  baptized,  among  the  vast  crouds  of  people  who 
came  to  the  banks  of  Jordan  for  that  purpose,  after  a 
short  expostulation  with  him  of  his  own  unworthiness, 
who  ought  rather  to  receive  the  honour  and  blessing  of 
baptism  from  his  Saviour,  than  his  Saviour  from  him,  no 
longer  disputes  his  Lord's  commands,  but  baptizes  him. 
The  Baptist  having  performed  his  ministry,   the  heavens 


*  sustain.    Acts  iii. 


236  A  Complete  History 

were  opened,  and  beins^  filled  with  an  unusual  and  glo^ 
rious  light,  the  Holy  Ghost  in  the  manner  of  a  dove* 
alighted  upon  his  sacred  head,  and  God  the  Father  gave 
a  voice  from  heaven,  saying,  "  Thou  art  my  beloved 
Son,  in  whom  I  am  well  pleased."  This  was  the  inaugu- 
ration and  proclamation  of  the  Messiah,  when  he  was 
about  to  begin  to  take  upon  him  the  office  of  the  great 
prophet  of  the  new  covenant.  And  this  was  the  greatest 
meeting  that  ever  was  upon  earth,  where  the  v  hole  mys- 
tery of  the  Trinity  was  opened,  and  shewn  as  fully  as  hu- 
man apprehension  was  capable  of  receiving  it.  The  first 
Person,  God  the  Father,  kept  his  state  in  heaven,  giving 
testimony  to  liis  holy  Son,  and  was  manifested  only  by  a 
voice,  without  any  visible  representation :  the  second 
Person  appeared  in  the  veil  of  humanity  :  and  the  third, 
descending  in  a  glorious  body  of  light  m  ith  the  motion 
of  a  do\'e.  Thus  was  manifested  to  Israel  the  blessed  Re. 
deemer  of  the  world  by  baptism,  to  which,  by  his  sub- 
mission, he  gave  the  most  honourable  sanction. 

As  soon  as  Jesus  was  baptized,  had  opened  the  heavens, 
which  hitherto  had  never  been  opened  to  man,  and  was 
declared  to  be  the  Son  of  God,  that  he  might  give  some 
evidence  of  his  piety  and  constancy  before  he  entered  on 
jiis  prophetic  office,  it  was  thought  fit  that  some  trial 
should  be  endured  by  him,  and  to  that  end,  by  the  im- 
})ulse  of  the  S])iritof  God  (of  which  he  was  full,  Luke  iv. 
1,)  he  went  from  Jordan  further  into  the  desert,  not  vo- 
luntarily  putting  himself  upon  temptation,  but  sul^mitting 
ito  it  according  lo  the  appointment  of  God  ;  being  led  into 
the  wilderness  by  the  good  Spirit,  to  be  tempted  by  the 
evil  one.     Being  there,  lie  Vv'as  enabled  by  the   miracu- 


*  Dove.  As  soon  as  Jesus  was  baptized,  and  come  out  of  the  water,  he  fell 
down  on  his  knees  in  prayer  to  his  Father,  Luke  iii.  21,  and  while  he  was  pray- 
ing, the  heavens  in  a  very  remarkable  manner  parted  asunder  visibly  before  Christ, 
and  the  Spirit  of  God  deiicended  upr)n  him  as  a  dove  descends  or  alights  upon  any- 
thing ;  not  in  the.  shape  of  a  dove,  but  a  body  of  liglit  came  down,  and  alighted  up- 
on him.  And  though,  St.  Luke  says  in  a  bodily  shape,  yet  he  does  not  say  the  bo. 
dily  shape  of  a  dove  ;  but  that  this  body  of  light,  which  fell  on  our  Saviour  as  he 
was  praying,  fell  after  the  hovering  manner  and  motion  of  a  dove. 


of  the  Hohj  Bible.      .  237 

ions  power  of  Deity  to  continue  forty  clays  and  niglUs 
w  iihoiit  loocl  or  drink  :  during  wliich  time  he  Avas  as- 
saulted vviili  a  variety  of  teniptaiions,  but  that  of  hiniger 
seemed  to  be  the  most  pungent ;  for  at  the  expiration  of 
the  forty  days,  the  devil  himself  taking  advantage  of  that 
opportunity,  attacks  liim,  inviting  him  to  eat  bread  of 
his  own  providing,  which  might  refresh  his  human  nature, 
and  at  the  same  time  prove  his  diviniiy ;  hoping  that  his 
hunger,  and  tlic  desire  of  con\incir.g  the  adversarv,  might 
tempt  him  to  eat  before  the  time  appointed  :  "  li  thou  art 
the  Son  of  God,"  says  he,  "  make  use  now  of  that  power 
to  thine  own  relief,  and  turn  these  stones  into  bread  ;"  but 
Jesus  answered,  '*  It  is  written,  man  siiall  not  Jive  by  bread 
alone,  l)ut"by  every  word*  that  proceedeth  out  of  the  mouth 
of  God. "  iMeaning,  that  in  the  word  of  God  a  promise 
is  expressed  or  implied  of  the  supply  of  all  things  necessa- 
ry for  him  that  is  doing  the  work  oi  God. 

The  devil  failing  in  this  attempt,  tries  him  again,  re- 
quiring only  a  demonstration  of  his  being  the  Son  of  God. 
He  taketh  him  up  into  the  holy  city,  that  is,  he  carried 
him  in  the  air,  without  doing  him  an}-  hurt,  to  Jerusn- 
lem,  being  permitted  by  God  so  to  do,  and  set  him  on 
the  battltmentf  of  the  temple  ;  and  urging  Psalm  xci.  11, 
to  him,  he  proposed  to  him  to  cast  himself  dov.n  from 
thence,  by  that  means  to  testify  himself  to  be  the  Son 
of  God  ;  for  if  it  were  so,  he  might  do  this  securely.  Je- 
sus understood  his  design  ;  and  though  he  was  secure  of 
God's  protection,  yet  he  would  not  tempt  God,  nor 
vainly  solicit  his  providence,  by  tempting  him  to  an  un- 
necessary conser\ation.     This  assault  also,   proving  as  in- 


*  Word.  Bread  or  ordinar}"^  means  of  sustaining  nature  is  not  absolutely  neces- 
saiy  to  the  life  of  man ;  God  can  feed  and  uphold  him  other  ways,  by  whatever  he 

pleaseth  to  make  use  of  to  that  purpose  ;  his  bare  word  or  appointment,  Deut. 

...  f., 

VUl.o. 

•f-  Battlement.  The  Greek  word  Pteruj^ion  signifies  literally  a  little  wing  ;  but 
it  here  denotes  the  exterior  circuit  of  the  top  of  an  house,  which  compasseth  it  in 
to  keep  men  from  danger  of  falling  from  the  roof,  and  is  therefore  in  the  law  en- 
joined  in  their  buildings,  Deut.  xxii.  8,  so  that  the  Greek  ought  to  be  rendered 
Battlement. 


238  J  Complete  History 

effectual  as  the  former,  the  devil  unites  alt  his  force  of 
art  and  stratagem  ;  places  the  holy  Jesus  upon  an  ex- 
ceedingly high  mountain,  and  by  a  supernatural*  power 
draws  into  one  view  an  admirable  map  of  all  the  beauties 
and  glory  of  the  world,  in  as  splendid  and  inviting  man- 
ner as  possible,  and  represents  it  to  the  eyes  of  Jesus, 
saying,  "  All  these  things  will  I  give  thee,  if  thou  wilt 
fail  down  and  worship  me."  The  devil  growing  thus 
violent  in  his  temptations,  and  so  impudent  and  blas- 
phemous in  his  demands,  provoked  the  blessed  Jesus  to 
assert  his  authority,  and  with  holy  indignation  to  dismiss 
him,  repeating  the  words  of  the  law  (Deut.  vi.  13,  "Thou 
shall  worship  the  Lord  thy  God,    and  him  onlyf  shalt    .    M 


Parkbtirst  thinks  it  was  the  King's  Portico,  built  by  Herod,  of  which  Josephiis 
says,  "  It  was  one  of  the  most  memorable  works  that  was  ever  seen  under  the 
sun;  for  whereas  the  valley  itself  was  here  so  deep,  that  one  could  not  bear  to 
look  down  into  it ;  on  the  edge  of  this,  Herod  raised  the  immense  height  of  the 
portico,  so  that  if  any  one  from  the  roof  of  this  portico  should  look  through  both 
these  depths  at  once,  his  head  would  grow  dizzy."  Somewhere  then  on  the  roof 
of  this  poitico,  it  is  probable,  that  the  devil  placed  our  Saviour. 

•  Supernatural.  Mr.  Maundreli  in  his  travels,  visited  the  scene  (as  generally 
supposed)  of  our  Lord's  temptation,  of  which  he  says,  "  It  is  a  miserable  dry  place, 
consisting  of  high  rocky  mountains,  so  torn  and  disordered,  as  if  the  earth  here 
had  suffered  some  great  convulsion.  From  the  top  of  these  hills  of  desolation,  we 
had,  however,  a  delightful  prospect  of  the  mountains  of  Arabia,  the  Dead  Sea,  and 
the  plains  of  Jericho,  into  which  last  we  descended,  after  about  five  hours'  march 
from  Jerusalem.  As  soon  as  we  entered  the  plain,  we  turned  upon  the  left  hand, 
and  going  about  one  hour  that  way,  came  to  the  foot  of  the  ^arantania,  (so  call- 
ed from  our  Lord's  forty  days' fast)  which,  they  say,  is  the  Mountain,  where  the 
devil  tempted  him  with  the  visionary  scene  of  all  the  kingdoms  and  glories  of  the 
world.     It  is  very  steep  and  high,  and  its  ascent  not  only  djjficult,  but  dangerous." 

-{•  Only.  St.  Augustin,  and  the  Romanists  after  him,  to  defend  their  saint  and 
iina;-e-worship,  observe  that  our  Saviour  in  Mat.  iv.  10,  does  not  say,  "Thou  shalt 
only  worship  the  Lord  thy  God,"  though  he  says,  "  Him  only  shalt  thou  serve  :" 
inferring  from  hence.  That  because  the  word  Only  is  not  used  before  or  with  the 
uoi-d  Worship,  that  therefore  we  may  worship  saints  and  images  a&  they  do.  But 
this  is  to  be  more  subtle  than  the  devil  himself,  who  having  only  required  of  our 
Saviour  to  fall  down  and  worship  him,  went  off  baffled  at  his  answer,  which  yet 
would  have  been  imj^rfect  and  impertinent,  if  St.  Augustin's  fancy  were  true  ;  and 
on  which  the  devil,  no  doubt,  who  is  not  wont  to  neglect  any  advantage,  would 
have  taken  hold.    But  if  this  father,  and  those  who  blindly  followed  his  authority. 


cfthe  Holy  Bible.  239 

thou  serve."  Then  for  a  season  Satan  ceased  to  tempt 
him,  (afterwards  setting  himself  more  industriously  to 
use  every  stratugem  to  take  a\\ay  his  life)  and  the  angels 
came  and  ministered  to  him,  bi '.  %  messengers  of  com- 
fort sent  from  his  Father  to  support  his  humanity,  and  to 
congratulate  him  on  this  illustrious  victory  over  the  prince 
of  diirkness  :  a  victory  in  which  every  Christian  must  re-, 
joice ;  for  thus,  our  Redeemer,  "  having  himself  suffered, 
being  tempted,"  obtained  an  experimental  fitness,  "  to 
succour  us  when  we  are  tempted,"  and  became  also  an 
illustrious  example  for  our  imitation,  that  we  should  learn 
to  "  resist  Satan,"  that  he  may  "  flee  from  us." 

While  our  blessed  Lord  was  in  the  desert,  struggling 
against,  and  overcoming,  all  the  temptations  and  allure- 
ments of  the  devil,  St.  John,  as  became  the  oiSce  of  a 
forerunner,  ceased  not  to  give  public  testimony  concern- 
ing Christ,  now  manifested  :  for  after  that  by  a  sign 
from  heaven  the  Baptist  was  confirmed  in  spirit,  and  un- 
derstood Jesus  to  be  the  Messiah,  he  immediately  pub- 
lished to  the  Jews  what  God  had  manifested  to  him  :  and 
first  to  the  Priests  and  Levites,  sent  from  the  Sanhedrim 
or  council,  he  declared  that  he  himself  was  not  the 
Christ,  nor  Elias,  nor  that  prophet  whom  they,  by  a  spe- 
cial tradition  expected  to  be  revealed,  they  knew  not  when. 
As  concernin«-  himself,  he  said,  "  That  he  was  the  voice 
of  one  crying  in  the  wilderness,  make  straight  the  way  of 
the  Lord  :"  but  there  was  one  amongst  them,  as  yet  un- 
known, a  person  of  great  dignity,  to  whom  the  baptist  was 
not  worth}'  to  perform  the  meanest  office  ;  who  coming 
after  John,  was  preferred  before  him;  who  was  to  increase, 
■while  the  Bjptist  should  decrease,  and  who  should  baptize 
A\ith  the  Holy  Ghost  and  with  fire.* 


had  applied  themselves  more  closely  to  study  the  style  of  the  Scriptures,  they 
would  have  been  ashamed  to  use  such  kind  of  arguments  :  for  it  is  evident  that 
tyhe  word  only,  which  is  expressed  in  the  command  of  serving  God,  is  also  under- 
stood  in  that  of  worshipping  him. 

•  Fire.  Fire  here,  according  to  St.  Cbrysostom,  signifies  the  efficacy  of  the 
Holy  Ghost ;  whose  operation  is  so  mighty  where  it  is  felt,  that  like  fire  it  con- 
sumes the  impurities  of  sin.    This  is  a  reference,  no  doubt,  to  the  miracnlous  ap- 


240  A  Complete  HistorT/ 

This  was  the  illustrious  ch?iracter  of  our  blessed  Lord  ; 
but  as  yet  no  ciemonstratioa  was  made  of  his  person,  till 
after  the  descent  of  the  Holy  Ghost  upon  him  :  and  then, 
when  and  wherever  iL  t  baptist  saw  him,  he  points  him 
out  wiih  his  finger,  saving,  *'  Behold  the  Lamb  of  God 
which  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world."  But  more  par- 
ticularly alter  the  return  of  our  blessed  Lord  from  the  wil- 
derness :  for  John  having  declared  to  the  priests  and  Le- 
vites  that  he  himself  was  not  the  Christ,  the  next  day  he 
seeth  Jesus  coming  to  him,  and  by  the  power  of  the  Holy 
Gliost,  he  exclaims,  "  Behold  the  Lamb  of  God  that  taketh 
away  the  sin  of  the  world  !"  and  confirming  his  former  tes- 
timony of  bim,  he  adds,  "  This  is  he  of  whom  I  said,  After 
me  Cometh  one  that  is  preferred  befo/e  me,  for  he  was  be- 
fore me.  And  though  I  knew  him  not,  yet  1  knew  that  he 
should  be  made  manifest  to  Israel ;  therefore  am  1  come 
baptizing  with  water."  And  John  bare  farther  record  of 
the  Messiah,  saying,  "  I  saw  the  Spirit  descending  from 
heaven,  as  a  dove  descends,  and  it  abode  upon  him.  And 
I  knew  him  not ;  but  he  that  sent  me  to  baptize  with  water, 
the  same  said  to  me,  Upon  whom  thou  shalt  see  the  Spirit 
descending,  and  remaining  upon  him,  the  same  is  he  which 
baptizeth  with  the  Holy  Ghost."  "  This,"  says  he,  "  I 
saw;  and  bear  record  that  diis  is  the  Son  of  God." 

The  day  after  the  Baptist  appeared  again  ;  and  besides 
the  multitudes  that  promiscuously  flocked  to  hear  his  dis- 
courses, he  had,  according  to  the  manner  of  the  Jewish 
masters,  some  peculiar  and  select  disciples,  who  more 
constantly  attended  upon  his  lectures,  and  for  the  most 
part  waited  upon  his  person.  Amongst  these  was  An- 
drew, who  was  then  with  him  about  Jordan,  m  hen  our 
Saviour,  who  some  time  since  had  been  bjptizcd,  came 
that  way  :  upon  whose  approach  the  baptist  assured  them 
that  this  was  the  Messidh,  the  Divine  person  of  whom 
he  had  so  often  spoken  ;  and,  to  usher  in  whose  appear- 
ance, his  whole  ministry  was  but  subservient ;  that  tliis 


pearance  of  tongues  of  fife  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  emblematical  of  the  gift  of 
languages,  and  the  heavenly  animation  with  which  the  first  preachers  declared  the 
-ft-ord  of  life,  as  we!l  as  of  th»  wonderful  e-Tccts  of  their  doctrine. 


oftht  Holy  Bible.  241 

was  the  Lamb  of  God, — the  true  sacrifice,  which  was  to 
cxpi.iie  the  sins  of  mankind.  Upon  this  testimoii}',  An- 
drew* and  another  disciple  (probal)ly  St.  John)  followed 
our  Saviour  to  the  place  of  his  abode,  and  after  some  con- 
verse with  him,  Andrew  went  to  acquaint  his  brother  Si- 
mon, and  both  together  came  to  Christ ;  who,  as  soon  as 
he  beheld  Simon,  said,  "  Thou  art  Simon  the  son  of  Jo- 
nas, thou  shalt  be  called  Cephas, f  which  signifies  a  stone." 
The  day  following,  Jesus  going  into  Galilee  finds  out 
Philip!  of  Bethsaida,  and  bids  him  follow  him  ;  which 
was  the  constant  form  he  used  in  making  choice  of  his 
disciples,  and  those  tliat  inseparably  attended  upon  him. 
Philip  being  thus  honourably  distinguished  by  his  Lord 
and  Saviour,  he  soon  found  Nathanael,^  a  man  of  note, 
and  acquainted  him  with  the  tidings  that  the  Messiah  was 
come.  Nathanael  could  not  easily  be  induced  to  give 
credit  to  Philip's  account ;  for  the  title  of  Nazarene  was 
both  by  Jews  and  Gentiles  reckoned  the  greatest  reproach 
that  could  be  fixed  on  any  one ;  therefore  Nathanael  ques- 
tioned  with    J-*hilip,    Can  any  good  thing  come  out    of 


•  Andrev).  Upon  this  account  St.  Andrew  is  generally  by  the  fathers  and  an- 
cient writers  styled  the  Protocletos,  or  first-called  disciple  ;  but  in  a  strict  sense  he 
was  not  so ;  for  though  he  was  the  first  of  the  disciples  that  came  to  Christ,  yet 
he  was  not  called  till  afterwards. 

•j-  Cephas.  Anaclete  and  other  Roman  writers  derive  Cephas  (the  Syriac 
name  of  Peter,  which  signifies  a  stone)  from  the  Greek  word  Kephale,  which 
signifies  a  head,  and  by  this  silly  mistake  endeavour  to  prove  St.  Peter's  supre- 
macy. 

\  Philip.  The  prerogative  of  being  first  called  evidently  belongs  to  Philipj  he 
being  one  of  the  first  of  our  Lord's  disciples.  For  though  Andrew  and  Peter 
were  the  first  that  came  to  and  conversed  with  Christ,  yet  did  they  immediat«ly 
return  to  their  trades  again,  and  were  not  called  to  their  discipleship  till  above 
a  whole  year  after,  when  John  was  cast  into  prison. 

J  Nathanael.  Here  is  room  for  a  very  probable  conjecture  of  St.  Augustin  on 
Nathanael ;  it  may  be  wondered  at,  that  our  Saviour  bestowing  such  particular 
marks  of  esteem  on  this  good  man,  did  not  take  him  into  the  college  of  the  apos- 
tles :  to  which  St.  Augustin  gives  this  for  answer,  because  he  was  a  doctor  of 
the  law  ;  which  profession  at  that  time  was  become  very  scandalous,  by  reason  of 
the  many  and  vile  corruptions  crept  into  it ;  which  soon  after  was  the  occasion  of 
50  many  woes  proclaimed  against  the  professors  of  it  by  our  Saviour. 

Xoi.,  II.  H  h 


'24,2  A  Complete  History 

Nazareth?  But  Philip  insisting  on  what  he  had  seen  am! 
heard,  urges  him  to  go  ulong  w  ith  him  and  see  ;  which 
he  did,  and  was  speedily  convinced.  Nathanaei  no  sooner 
had  approached  his  Saviour,  but  he  received  from  him  a 
most  ample  testimony  of  his  holy  simplicity  and  sin- 
cerity in  these  words,  "  Behold,  an  Israelite  indeed,  in 
whom  is  no  guile  !"  Nathanaei  periectly  surprised  at  such 
an  unexpected  evidence  of  our  Lord's  omniscience, 
immediately  savs,  with  all  the  natural  frankness  of  his 
temper,  "  Whence  dost  thou  know  me  ?"  Jesus  re- 
plied, that  before  Philip  called  him,  when  he  was  alone, 
under  the  fig-tree,  he  saw  him.*  Upon  which,  in  an 
ecstasy  of  joy,  Nathanaei,  acknowledgeel  his  Saviour,  say- 
ing, "  Thou  art  the  Son  of  God,t  thou  art  the  King  of 
Israel  \  Thon  art  the  promised  Messiah,  described  to  us 
as  a  King:"  and  Jesus  took  this  affi^ctjon  of  Nathanaei  in 
so  good  part,  that  he  promised  him  greater  things ;  which 
gave  occasion  ta  the  first  prophecy  made  by  our  Saviour. 
For,  he  said  unto  him,  "  Because  I  said  I  saw  thee  under 
the  fig-tree,  believest  thou  ?  Thou  shalt  see  greater  things 
than  these.  And  then  he  prophesied, J  that  he  should  see 
heaven  opened,  and  the  angels  of  God  ascendmg  and  de- 
scending upon  the  son  of  man.^ 


.  *  Ilim.  That  is,  Jesus  had  in  spirit  observed  what  passed  in  his  secret  retire- 
ment for  devout  meditation  and  prayer,  probably  in  his  own  garden.  Nathanaei 
was  so  struck  with  this  express  reference  to  what  none  but  God  and  his  own  con- 
science had'  witnessed,  that  all  his  prejixlices  were  at  once  removed,  and  he  ac- 
knowledges Jesus  as  the  Messiah,  the  sent  of  God. 

f  Son  of  God.     The  ancient  Jews  universally  expected  that  the  Son  of  God 
woald  appear  on  earth,  and  be  that  great  king  whom  they  had  Cor  so  many  ages 
expected  ;  this  appears  from  the  expression  of  Nathanaei  in  the  present  instance 
and  from  the  following,  scriptures,  Matt.  xxvi.  16.     John  vi.  69.     Johnxt.  27. 
Matt.  viii.  29.  See  Dr.  Macbiigbt's  Harmony,  Sect.  16. 

^  Prophesied.     John  i.  51. 

t  3Ian.  Probably  ihe  meaning  may  be  such  a  train  of  miracles  in  his  ministry, 
that  it  should  seem  as  if  heaven  was  opened,  and  the  angels  of  God  (as  in  Jacob'i. 
vision.  Gen.  xxviii.  12)  ascending  and  descending  to  wait  on  the  Son  of  Man,  to 
receive  and  execute  his  orders.  But  some  think  th^s  prediction  refers  to  the  as- 
cension of  our  Lord,  of  which  Nathanaei  might  be  a  witness  ;  for  he  is  supposed  to 
have  been  the  came  person,  who  in  the  catalogue  of  the  apostles  is  called  Baitho- 
lomcvv. 


of  the  Holy  Bible.  243 

Miicli  about  the  same  time  there  happened  to  be  a  mar- 
riage at  Cana  of"  Galilee,  in  the  neighbourhood  ot"  his  ducl- 
iing,  to  which  Jesus  and  his  mother  beini>  invited,  he  went 
to   obhge  the  persons  espoused,    and    do   honour  to  the 
lioly  rite  of  marriage.     Tlic  persons  then  married  were 
but  of  indifferent  fortunes,  richer  in  the  love  of  theirneigh- 
bours,  than  in  the  fulness  of  their  large  possessions.   They 
had  more  company  than  wine  :  for  the  master  of  the  feast^ 
complained  to  the  bridegroom,  that  the  guests  wanted  wine. 
As  soon  as   the  holy  mother  had  notice  of  this  want  of 
wine,  she  mentioned  it  to  her  son,  thereby  affording  him 
an  opportunity  of  displaying  his  power,  by  shewing  a  mi- 
racle in  supplying  the  guests.  But  Christ  ans   ered,  "  Wo- 
man, u  hat  have  I  to  do  with  thee  ?   Mine  hour  is  not  }'et 
come,  "t    By  this  answer  intending  her  no  dejiial,  to  whom 
he  always  bare  a  religious  respect,  but  telling  her,  that 
this  part  of  his  office,  to  which  he  was  sent  by  God,  was  a 
thing,  w^herein  sl^,  though  his  earthly  parent,   was  not  to 
interpose  ;  adding  moreoier,  that  it  was  not  yet  seasonable 
for  him  to  shew  his  power  to  all,  intimating  his  design, 
that  he  would  do  it  more  privately,  than  by  her  words  she 
seemed  to  wish.     Whereupon,  that  none  but  the  servants 
might  take  notice  of  it  (who  knowing  the  wine  was  all 
spent,  must  of  course  know  if  any  supply  were  provided) 
she  gave  express  charge  to  them  to  do  whatsoever  he  com- 
manded.    There  were  there  six  water-pots  J  of  stone,  cis- 


*  Master  of  the  Feast.  According  to  the  piety  and  order  of  the  Jewish  nation 
they  chose  the  Architriclinosj  or  Master  of  the  Feast  from  the  order  of  priests  to 
be  the  president  of  it,  that  by  the  reverence  of  his  person  he  might  restrain  all  in- 
temperance, by  his  discretion  govern  and  order  the  circumstances,  by  his  religious 
knowledge  direct  the  solemnities  of  marriage,  and  by  his  power  keep  the  guests; 
within  the  bounds  of  modesty  and  prudence. 

f  Come.  No  rudeness  or  disrespect  was  intended  by  our  Lord's  using  the  word 
"  Woman,"  in  speaking  to  his  mother.  Blackwell  in  his  sacred  Classics  refers  to 
several  instances  in  Greek  writers,  where  the  s^me  appellation  is  given  to  persons 
of  distinction,  even  by  their  inferiors. 

\  Water-pots.  These  were  set  there  to  wash  in,  after  the  manner  of  the  Jews, 
who  constantly  washed  with  a  superstitious  nicety  before  meat ;  especially  in  all 
public  meetings,  for  fear  of  contracting  pollution  or  illegal  impurities,  which  they 
did  with  a  particularity  next  to  superstition,  washing  even  the  seats  and  tables  at 
their  feasts. 


244  ^  Complete  History 

terns  of  a  sufficient  size,  out  of  which  they  were  wont  to 
draw  walcr  for  every  man's  use.  The  servants  filled  them 
to  the  brim,  and,  as  they  were  commanded,  drew  out,  and 
presented  to  the  governor  of  the  feast,  who  knew  not  of  it, 
till  the  miracle  became  public  :  for  while  the  guests  won- 
dered at  the  management  of  this  feast  in  keeping  the  best 
wine  till  the  last,*  it  being  the  custom  of  the  Jews  to  give 
their  guests  the  strongest  and  richest  wines  at  ftrst,  it  grew 
apparent  that  he  who  was  the  Lord  of  the  creatures,  which 
have  all  a  capacity  of  receiving  the  impression  of  what  forms 
he  pleases  to  imprint,  could  give  new  natures,  and  produce 
new  qualities  in  any  subject  in  which  he  thinks  proper  to 
glorify  his  Son. 

This  was  the  beginning  of  miracles  which  Jesus  did  in 
Cana  of  Galilee;  by  which  he  was  pleased  to  grace  a  nup- 
tial solemnity,  and  thus  bear  a  testimony  to  the  honor  of  the 
marriage  state,  and  at  the  same  time  afford  a  glorious  evi- 
dence of  the  presence  of  his  divinity,  and  accordingly  his 
disciples  believed  on  him  more  stedfastly  than  before,  as 
the  fact  was  so  certain  and  so  remarkable,  f 

Immediately  after  this  miracle,  Jesus  \a  ent  down  to  Ca- 
pernaum, and  abode  there  a  few  days;  but  the  great  feast 
of  the  passover  being  at  hand,  he  went  up  to  Jerusalem, 
where  the  first  public  act  that  he  performed,  was  one  of 
holy  zeal  in  behalf  of  the  honour  of  God  and  his  temple  : 
for  divers  merchants  and  exchangers  of  money  made  that 
sacred  place  a  mere  market  and  bank,  and  brought  beasts 
thither  to  be  sold  for  sacrifice  against  the  great  paschal 
solemnit}',  just  approaching.  At  the  sight  of  which  the 
blessed  Jesus,  being  moved  with  zeal  and  indignation, 
made  a  whip  of  cords,  and  drove  the  beasts  out  of  the  tem- 


*  Last.  Johnx.  7,  says,  "  When  men  have  well  drunk."  There  is  no  reason 
to  suppose  that  the  guests  of  this  feast  had  drank  to  excess,  even  if  it  be  allowed 
that  it  is  an  allusion  to  the  too  frequent  custom  of  doing  so  at  feasts.  It  is  almost 
blasphemous  to  suppose  that  our  Holy  Saviour  would  "display  his  glory"  by 
miraculously  furnishing  the  company  with  the  means  of  keeping  up  a  drunken 
revel. 

■\  Re)narkable.  By  this  miracle  a  favour  was  conferred  on  the  newly  married 
«;(Hiple,  as  a  considerable  expence  was  saved,  and  an  ample  equivalent  given  for 
the  additional  charge  of  entertaining  so  many  of  his  disciples. 


of  the  Holy  Bible.  245 

j»lc,  overtlircw  the  bankers'  tables,*  and  commanded  them 
that  sold  doves  to  take  them  Irom  thence.  His  hoiy  zeal 
was  hei^lUened  at  tlie  profanation  of  the  edifice,  which  was 
peculiarly  set  apart  for  God's  service.  "  Take  these  things 
hence,"  said  he,  "  and  make  not  my  Father's  house  a  house 
of  meichandize,  for  it  shall  be  called  a  house  of  prayer  to 
all  nations."  This  action  appearing  to  some  persons  like 
tiic  religious  bigotry  of  tlie  zealots  among  the  Jews,  if  it 
were  not  attested  by  something  extraordinary,  they  thought 
might  be  abused  into  an  excess  of  liberty  ;  and  therefore 
they  required  a  sign  of  him,  to  shew  by  what  authority  he 
did  these  things.  But  he  gratified  their  curiosity  only  by 
foretelling  the  resurrection  of  his  bod}^  after  three  days' 
death,  w  hicii  he  expressed  in  the  metaphor  of  the  temple  ; 
"  Destroy  this  temple,  and  I  will  build  it  up  in  three  days." 
But  he  spake  of  the  temple  of  his  body,  and  they  under- 
stood him  of  the  temple  at  Jerusalem  ;  and  it  was  never 
rightly  construed  till  it  was  accomplished  ;  for  after  he  was 
risen  from  the  dead,  his  disciples  recollected  that  he  had 
formerly  spoken  this  to  them.  This  miracle  may  justly 
be  considered  as  one  of  the  most  remarkable  performed  by 
our  Lord ;  it  discovers  his  power  no  less  than  his  zeal, 
for  how  extraordinary  was  it,  that  a  number  of  interested 
persons  siiould  at  once  submit  to  the  dictates  of  a  man 
unknown,  and  unarmed  with  any  temporal  or  ecclesias- 
tical authority  !  Surely  it  must  be  ascribed  to  the  efibct  of 
a  supernatural  impression  on  their  minds  ! 

Christians,  at  all  times,  should  remember  that    "  God 
is  a  Spirit,"  and  accepts  of  no  other   worship  than  that 

•  Tables.  The  Greek  word  Trapeza,  table,  here  is  that  from  which  those  that 
dealt  in  returning  money,  or  in  bills  of  exchange,  and  made  advantage  ot 
gain  by  so  doing,  are  called  Trapezitee  ordinarily  among  authors.  But  here 
the  Trapezitx  seems  to  signify  that  sort  of  men,  who  (as  merchants  among 
us)  return  money  for  others  to  some  other  place,  by  which  they  received 
some  advantage  themselves.  Hence  it  was  that  the  Israelites  being  obliged  bjr 
the  law  to  come  up  to  Jerusalem  (how  far  soever  they  dwtlt  from  it)  and  there  to 
sacrifice  and  to  offer  the  half  shekel  for  the  use  of  the  temple,  Exod.  xxx.  13,  (which 
by  reason  of  the  length  of  their  journey,  sometimes  they  could  not  do)  these  Tra- 
pezitae  set  up  their  tables  in  the  very  temple,  that  so  they  might  traffic  with  all 
that  had  need  of  them,  in  like  manner  as  others  brought  oxen,  and  sheep,  and  dove*, 
to  sell  there  to  those  vho  had  nof  brought  their  sacrifices  with  them. 


246  A  Complete  History 

'which  is  spiritual.  Too  often,  however,  crowds  of  vain 
and  worldly  thoughts  intrude  themselves,  hke  those  buyers 
and  sellers,  into  our  minds,  while  we  are  in  the  house  of 
God.  Let  us  then  call  to  mind  this  miracle,  and  consider 
the  Saviour  as  still  saying,  "  Take  these  things  hence." 

At  this  public  convention  of  the  Jewish  nation  in  Je- 
rusalem, Jesus  performed  many  miracles,  giving  sight  to 
the  blind,  and  feet  to  the  lame,  declaring  himself  to  be 
the  Messiah,  and  persuading  many  to  be  his  disciples  ; 
among  whom  was  Nicodemus,  a  doctor  of  the  law,  and 
one  of  the  Jewish  Sanhedrim,  who  fearing  to.  come  openly 
in  the  day  time,  came  by  night  to  Jesus,  acknowledging 
himself  to  be  convinced  by  the  miracles  which  he  had  seen : 
for  he  admitted  that  no  man  could  perform  those  miracles, 
unless  God  were  with  him ;  which  plainly  testified  that  he 
was  sent  by  God  to  teach  and  instruct  mankind.  * 

When  Jesus  perceived  his  inclination  and  understand- 
ing to  be  so  far  advanced,  he  began  to  instruct  him  in 
the  great  doctrine  of  regeneration,  observing,  that  every 
production  is  of  the  same  nature  and  condition  with  its 
parent ;  from  flesh  comes  flesh  and  corruption  ;  from  the 
Spirit  comes  spirit,  and  life,  and  immortality  ;  and  nothing 
could  from  a  principle  of  nature  arri^'e  to  a  supernatural 
end  ;  and  therefore  the  only  door  to  enter  into  the  king- 
dom of  God,  was  by  regeneration,  or  that  influence  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  on  the  heart,  whereby  an  inward  change 
is  eflfected,  and  the  man  becomes  "  a  new  creature  ;"  and 
of  which  change,  baptism  by  water  is  the  instituted  symbol. 
Without  tins  change  or  renewal  of  mind,  a  person  remains 
in  a  state  of  alienation  from  God,  and  therefore  can  have 
no  part  in  the  Messiah's  kingdom  of  grace ;  for  that  being 
a  kingdom  of  righteousness,  those  only  who  are  changed 
into  the  divine  likeness,  can  relish  its  holy  and  spiritual 
precepts.  Neither  can  an  unrenewed  person  enter  into  the 
kingdom  of  glory,  being  unfit  to  maintain  any  communion 
with  God,  or  relish  the  enjoyments  of  that  sacred  state. 


•  Maniind.  This  unspeakably  precious  gift  our  blessed  Saviour  assured  Nico- 
demus was  the  effect  of  God  the  Father's  infinite  love,  who  sent  his  only  begotten 
Son  into  the  world ;  that  tliev  who  believe  on  him  should  not  perish,  but  inherit 
ftemal  life. 


of  the  Holy  Bible.  247 

'I'his  was  strange  philosophy  to  Nicodemus ;  who  at- 
tending only  to  the  sound,  not  to  the  sense  of  our  Saviour's 
A\ords.  asked  him  how  a  man  advanced  in  years  can  be 
born  again  i**  But  Jesus  bid  him  not  to  wonder,  lor  this 
Avas  not  the  work  of  human  reason,  but  the  operation  of 
God's  Spirit.  For  the  Spirit  bloweth  where  it  listeth,  and 
is  as  the  wind,  certain  and  obvious  in  the  effects,  but  se- 
cret in  the  principle  and  manner  of  production ;  and  there- 
fore this  doctrine  was  not  to  be  taken  according  to  the  pro- 


*  Born  again.  "  We  are  aware,  that  much  pains  is  taken,  not  to  deny  our 
Lord's  assertion,  for  thut  is  express,  but  by  subtilty  and  refinement  to  explain 
away  its  meaning.  "  To  be  born  again,"  it  is  said,  is  only  a  strong  eastern  meta- 
phor, which  implies  a  renunciation  of  some  eiTOrs,  whether  Jewish  or  Pagan, 
and  a  profession  of  Christianity.  Let  us  try  this  Interpretation  by  other  passages. 
"  Whatsoever  is  bom  of  God  overcometh  the  world,"  1  John,  ver.  4.  And  can 
such  a  conquest  be  ascribed  to  every  one,  who  is  called  a  Christian  ?  We  have 
continual  and  lamentable  proof  to  the  contrary.  Equally  absurd  is  the  notion,  that 
baptism  constitutes  regeneration.  This,  mdeed,  is  the  outward  symbol  of  it ; 
the  water,  which  is  applied  to  the  body,  fitly  representing  the  operation  of  the 
Spirit  in  cleansing  and  purifying  the  soul.  But  "  whosoever  is  born  ol  God  sinneth 
not,"  1  John,  ver.  18.  And  is  this  to  be  afiirmed  of  every  baptized  person  I 
Alas  !  how  different  is  the  case  ! 

"  It  is  said,  then,  that  "  to  be  bom  agaia"  is  to  ref^jrm  the  life,  and  pay  an  e.K  ■ 
act  regard  to  the  duties  of  morality.  This  we  grant,  is  highly  expedient  and  ne 
cessary,  and  is  an  effect  which  will  flow  from  regeneration,  but  it  may  be  produ- 
ced without  it.  For  do  not  many  "  make  the  outside  clean,  whose  inward  part  is 
full  of  wickedness?"  Luke  xi.  39.  But  the  change,  of  which  we  speak,  origi- 
nates within,  and  is  properly  a  renovation  of  the  heart,  in  which  corrupt  and  car- 
nal affections  are  subdued,  and  holy  and  spiritual  desires  and  tempers  are  implant- 
ed. It  is,  therefore,  "  a  new  creation,"  so  that  the  man  is,  as  it  were,  made  over 
again,  not  as  to  his  body,  which  suffers  no  alteration,  bat  as  to  the  dispositions 
of  the  mind  :  the  depravity  of  his  nature  is  rectified.  The  language  is  metapho- 
rical, we  allow  ;  and  who  ever  denied  it  ?  But  some  meaning  was  intended  to  be 
conveyed  in  the  figure  ;  and  certain  modem  explanations  have  subtilized  it  into 
nothing.  If  Jesus  designed  only  to  inculcate  an  external  reformation  of  conduct, 
and  a  regularity  of  morals,  he  used  a  most  dark  and  intricate  manner  of  expres- 
sion, which  perplexes  rather  than  instructs.  On  this  interpretation  the  metaphor 
is  absurd,  and  ail  the  solemnity  of  our  Lord's  address  is  mere  trifling  ;  for  he  has 
rendered  that  obscure,  which  in  plain  words  would  have  been  easily  understood. 
Had  this  been  the  sense,  Nicodemus  would  not  have  wondered  ^^  nor  would  Jesus 
have  spoken  of  it  as  a  mysterious  doctrine." 


24§  A  Complete  Histonj 


portions  of  natural  principles  or  experiments  of  sense,  but 
to  the  declarations  of  heaven. 

Our  Lord  then*  proceeds  in  his  discourse,  assuring 
,  him  that  there  are  yet  higher  diings  for  him  to  apprehend 
and  believe ;  for  this,  in  respect  of  some  other  mysteries 
of  his  gospel,  was  but  as  earth  in  comparison  of  heaven. 
Then  he  informed  him  of  his  descent  from  heaven,  foretels 
bis  death  and  ascension,  and  the  blessing  of  redemption, 
which  he  came  to  procure  for  mankind  :  he  preaches  the 
love  of  the  Father,  the  mission  of  the  Son,  the  rewards  of 
faith,  and  the  glories  of  eternity ;  he  upbraids  the  unbe- 
lieving and  impenitent,  and  declares  the  dift'erences  of  a 
holy  and  corrupt  conscience  ;  the  shame  and  fears  of  the 
one,  and  the  confidence  and  serenity  of  the  other. 

From  Jerusalem  the  holy  Jesus  went  into  the  country  of 
Judea,  attended  by  many  disciples  who  were  convinced 
of  his  divine  mission  by  the  evidence  of  his  miracles  :  and 
•there  he  tarried  with  them  and  baptized ;  at  which  time 
Jobn  also  was  baptizing  in  iEnon,  near  to  Salem,  a  place 
(ihosen  by  him  as  commodious  to  that  purpose  by  reason  of 
the  pools  or  rivulets  of  water.  But  John's  disciples  hear- 
ing that  Jesus  baptized,  came  to  inform  him,  that  the  per- 
son to  whom  he  bare  witness,  received  proselytes  with  the 
same  ceremony  of  baptism  as  himself,  and  that  there  was 
a  great  number  of  persons  who  resorted  to  him.  In  an- 
swer to  whom  John  says ;  I  can  do  no  more  than  I  have 
commission  from  God  to  do,  and  that  commission  doth 
not  equal  me  to  him ;  and  therefore  you  cannot  but  re- 
member, that  I  always  said  of  myself,  I  am  not  the  Mes- 
siah, but  only  his  herald.  Johni  therefore  acquitting  him- 
self thus  in  public  by  renewing  his  former  testimony  of 
Christ,  that  he  was  the  Messiah,  foretels  that  his  own  mi- 
nistry was  near  a  close  ;  that  the  Messiah  should  daily  in- 
creaset  in  splendor,  but  that  he  should  proportionably  de- 
crease, for  Christ  came  from  above,  and  was  above  all ; 
and  that  the  sum  of  his  doctrine  was  that  which  he  had 
heard  and  seen  from  the  Father,  whom  God  had  sent  to 
that  purpose  ;  to  whom  God  had   set  his  seal,  that  he 


•  See  John  iii.  tover.23. 
f  Increase.     See  John  iii.  ver.  30,  31,  32,  33, 34,  35,  %6. 


of  the  IIolij  Bible.  249 

X\"as  true  ;  \\\\o  spake  tiic  words  of  God  ;  uliom  tlic  Father 
loved  ;  to  uhoiii  he  gave  the  Sj)irit  uitliout  mea*j.ire,  and 
into  whose  hands  He  had  delivered  all  things  ;  this  M'as 
He  whose  testimony  the  ^volld  received  not.  And  that 
they  might  know  not  only  what  a  glorious  person  they 
slighted,  but  how  great  salvation  they  also  ntglecled,  he 
sums  up  all  his  sermons,  and  finishes  his  mission  with  this 
solemn  declaration,  "  He  that  believkth  on  the  son 
HATH  everlasting  LIFE  ;  and  he  that  belicveth  not  on 
the  Son  j>hall   not   see   life,   but  the  wrath  of 

GOD  ABIDETH  on    HIM." 

And  now  that  the  baptist  had  fulfilled  his  ofRce  of  bear- 
ing witness  to  the  Sa\iour  of  the  world,  God  was  pleased 
to  grant  him  his  dismission,  which  was  effected  in  the  fol- 
lowing manner  :  John,  who  had  learned  to  despise  the 
world  and  all  its  vanities,  performed  his  duty  so  justly 
and  without  respect  of  persons,  that  as  he  reproved  the 
common  people  for  their  transgressions,  so  he  spared  not 
Herod  himself,  though  he  knew  him  to  be  a  powerful 
and  a  sanguinary  prince;  but  frankly  and  honestly  told 
him,  that  it  was  utterly  unlawful  for  him  to  live  with 
Herodias,  his  brother  Philip's  wife.  Herodias  being 
touched  with  this  reproof  from* John  to  Herod,  designed 
him  mischief,  and  would  have  removed  him  out  of  the 
way  by  some  death  or  other,  but  could  not  easily  accom- 
plish it :  for  Herod,*  because  of  the  inlluence  John  had 


•  Herod.  Our  translation  and  that  of  Geneva  seem  to  represeut  Herod  as  a 
prince  w.ho  respected  John  Baptist,  and  had  a  great  esteem  for  all  that  he  said, 
Mark  vi.  20,  though  in  St.  Matthew  and  St.  Luke,  he  is  represented  as  a  wicked 
wretch,  whom  nothing  but  the  fear  of  the  people  who  looked  on  John  as  a  pro- 
phet, restrained  from  putting  to  death,  Mat.  xiv-  5,  Luke  iii.  19,  20.  But  we 
are  to  consider,  that  the  Greek  word,  which  the  Geneva  version  translates  to  re~ 
Kerence,  and  our's  to  observe,  signifies  to  keep  prisoner,  or  to  observe  with  an  ill 
design.  We  must  consider  farther,  that  R.  Stephanus,  and  Beza,  had  some 
Greek  copies  wherein  instead  of  the  words  which  we  render,  "  He  did  many' 
things,"  there  are  words  which  signify,  "  He  was  much  vexed  or  troubled  :"^ 
which  indeed  much  better  represent  the  temper  of  that  dissolute  and  wicked 
prince.    Josephus  observes,  that  Herod  had  put  the  baptist  to  death,  because  he 

Vol.  II.  ♦V*'  I  i 


250  J  Complete  Historij 

over  the  people,  was  afraid  to  meddle  with  him,  Mat. 
xiv.  5,  aud  therefore  shut  him  up  in  prison;  where, 
whether  he  heard  him  oft  and  gladly,  as  some  versions 
have  it,  I  shall  refer  to  the  note  :  but  it  is  certain  that  this 
offensive  rebuke  was  never  forgotten,  though  it  did  not 
prevail  on  him  to  separate  from  her;  and  on  this  account 
it  was  that  about  a  year  afterwards,  he  felt  the  effect  of  this 
wicked  woman's  revenge  in  prison  :  where,  for  the  pre- 
sent, we  leave  him,  and  return  to  the  histor}' . 

The  blessed  Jesus  hearing  that  John  was  cast  into  pri- 
son, and  that  his  own  popularity  had  excited  the  envy 
of  the  Pharisees,  because  such  multitudes  resorted  to  his 
baptism,  (which,  however,  he  administered,  not  in  per- 
son, but  by  the  deputation*  of  his  disciples,  he  left  Ju- 
dea,  and  came  again  iato  Galilee  ;  and  in  his  passage  he 
touched  at  Sycliar,  a  city  of  Samaria ;  where  in  the  heat 
of  the  day  and  weariness  of  his  journey,  he  sat  down  in  a 
place  where  Jacob  had  once  digged  a  well ;  whidier,  when 
his  disciples  were  gone  to  buy  meat,  a  Samaritan  woman 
came  to  draw  water,  of  whom  Jesus  asked  a  draught. 
The  woman  little  knew  the  excellency  of  the  Person  \^  ho 
requested  so  small  a  favour  ;  but  prosecuting  the  spite 
of    her  nation,    and    the    interest    and    quarrelf  of   the 


thought  the  people  led  by  him  ;  which  is  an  argument  that  he  did  neither  respect 
him,  nor  hear  him  gladly,  nor  do  many  things  for  love  of  him.  Though  thii 
text  is  otherwise  explained  by  Dr.  Hammond,  and  many  ancient  commentators. 

*  t)eputation.  Fuodius,  bishop  of  Antioch  reports,  that  Jesus  baptized  the 
blessed  Virgin  his  mother  and  Peter  only,  and  Peter  baptized  Andrew,  James 
and  John,  and  they  others,  Niceph.  1.  2,  c.  3,  Hist. 

f  ^larrel.  The  ground  of  the  quarrel  was  this.  In  the  sixth  year  of  Hezeki- 
ah,  Salmanassar,  king  of  Assyria  sacked  Samaria,  transported  the  Israelites  to 
Assyria,  and  planted  an  Assyrian  colony  in  Samaria  :  which  colony  being  destroy- 
ed by  divine  vengeance,  the  king  thought  the  cause  was  their  not  ser\'in|;  the  God 
of  Israel,  and  therefore  sent  a  Jewish  captive  priest  to  instruct  the  remaining  As. 
Syrians  in  the  Jewibh  religion,  notwithstanding  they  still  rctuiwed  the  Gentile  sl^- 
perstitions,  till  Manasses,  the  brother  of  Jaddi  the  High-priest  at  Jerusalem,  mar- 
ried the  daughter  of  Sanballat.  Manasses  being  reproved  for  marrying  the 
daughter  of  an  uncircumci^ed  Gentile,  aiul  admonished  to  dismiss  her,  flies  to 
Samaria,  persuades  his  faiher-in-law  to  build  a  temple  ir  mount  Gerizim,  intro- 
duces the  rites  of  daily  sacrifice,  and  makes  himself  Hig;h-priest,  pretends  to  be  the 


1 


of  the  Holy  Bible.  251 

schiisni,  dcinandcd  \\liy  he,  wlio  was  a  Jew,  should  ask 
water  of  her  \\ho  was  a  Samaritan,  the  Jews  liaving  no 
commerce  or  familiar  communication  with  the  Samaritans. 
This  quarrel  so  implanted,  for  though  the  woman  per- 
ceived Jesus  to  be  a  prophet,  yet  she  undertook  this 
question  with  him  :  "  Ourfutiicrs  worshipped  in  this  moun- 
tain ;  and  ye  say  that  Jerusalem  is  the  j)lace  where  men 
ought  to  worship."  Jesus  knew  the  schism  was  great 
enouirb  already,  and  he  was  unwillinir  to  m.ike  it  wider; 
and  though  he  gave  testimony  to  the  truth  b\  suying, 
"  Salvation*  is  of  the  Jews,"  and  "  ue  know  what  we 
worship,  ye  do  not ;"  yet  because  the  subject  of  the  ques- 
tion was  shortly  to  be  taken  away,  Jesus  takes  occasion  to 
preach  the  gospel,  to  hasten  an  expedient  by  way  of  anti- 
cipation to  reconcile  the  disagreeing  interests,  and  settle  a 
revelation  to  be  verified  for  ever. 

Our  Lord,  who  always  improved  external  circumstances 
for  spiritual  edification,  takes  occasion,  from  the  water  of 
that  well,  to  discourse  of  living  water,  or  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
under  that  figiue,  which  he  would  give  to  every  one  who 
asked  that  blessing  of  him.  He  also  refers  to  that  aban- 
doned course  of  lifef  which  she  unhappily  led,  and  at 
length,  declares  to  her,  that  he  was  the  long-expected  Mes- 
siah. Upon  which  he  is  interrupted  by  his  disciples,  who 
had  returned  from  the  city,  and  wondered  to  see  him  alone 
talking  with  the  w  oman,  contrary  to  his  usual  custom  and 
reservation. 

The  woman  full  of  joy  and  wonder  left  the  water-pot, 


true  successor  of  Aaron,  and  commences  a  schism  in  the  time  of  Alexander  the 
Great.  Hence  the  question  of  religion  grew  so  high,  that  wherever  a  Jew  and  Sa- 
maritan met,  it  occasioned  great  animosities,  which  often  terminated  in  bloodshed 
or  murder. 

•  Salvation.     John  iv.  22. 

f  Life.  When  our  Saviour  directed  the  woman  of  Samaria  to  call  her  husband, 
she  answered,  I  have  no  husband  ;  and  the  translations  make  our  Saviour  approve 
her  answer,  by  replying.  Thou  hast  well  said,  I  have  no  husband.  But  Erasmus 
and  others  have  very  judiciously  observed,  that  this  is  an  ironical  way  of  speaking, 
which  is  so  far  from  approving  what  one  says,  that,  on  the  contrary,  it  represents 
it  absurd  and  ridiculous.  The  words  then  ought  to  be  rendered,  "  Finely  an* 
swered,  indeed  !  I  have  no  husband,  8;c." 


252  A  Complete  HUtory 

and  ran  to  the  city  to  publish  the  Messiah  ;    and  immedi- 
ately the  people  of  the  city  came  out  to  see,  and  m^»ny  be- 
lieved him  upon  the  testimony  of  the  woman,  and  more  when 
they  heard  his  own  discourses.     They  then  invited  him  to 
the  town  ;  and  though,  Matt.  x.  5,  he  forbad  his  disciples 
at  that  time  to  go  into'  any  city  of  the  Samaritans,  that  they 
might  convince  the  Jews  that  they  were  the  objects  of  his 
peculiar  care ;  yet  to  shew  that  the  gospel  was  not  their  in- 
closure,  he  himself  now  stays  two  days  with  the  Samaritans, 
■who  received  him  hospitably ;  after  which  he  returned  to 
Galilee,  where  he  was  received  with  great  reverence  and 
respect,  by  reason  of  the  many  miracles  which  the  Gali- 
leans saw  him  perform  at  the  feast ;  for  they  also  went  to 
the  feast.     Being  at  Cana,  v.  here  he  wrought  the  first  mi- 
racle, a  certain  noble*  person  came  and  addressed  himself 
to  Jesu:i  with  great  humility,  desiring  him  that  he  would 
come  to  his  house, and  cure  his  son,  now  at  the  point  of  death : 
this   request  he  repeated  with  much  importunity,  fearing 
his  son  should  be  dead  before  he  could  reach  him.    The 
Holy  Jesiis,  to  display  the  excellency  of  his  power,  and 
that  he  did  not  perform  his  miracles  by  any  natural  opera - 
lions,  cured  the  child  at  a  distance,  and  dismissed  the  be- 
lieving parent,  who  joyfully  returning  home,  was  by  the 
way  congratulated  with  the  welcome  news  of  his  son's  re- 
covery ;  and  enqtiiring  of  his  servants  the  hour  when  the 
child  began  to  amend,  perceived,  by  the  account  they  gave 
him,  that  he  recovered  at  the  exact  time  when  Jesus  pro- 
nounced those  salutary  and  healing  words,  "  Thy  Son  li- 
veth. "     Upon  this  happy  miracle  the  pious  courtier  was 
convinced  of  our  Saviour's  divinity,  and  believed  on  him  ; 
and  not  only  he,  but  his  whole  family  was  converted,  and 
became    the    disciples  of  Christ.     This  was  the  second 
miracle  that  Jesus  wrought  in  Cana,  he  having  in  the  mean 
time  performed  many  others  in  various  places  at  Jerusalem 
and  other  parts  of  Judea, 


•  Noble,    The  Greek  word  Bafilicos  in  this  place  undoubtedly  signifies  an  officer 
of  the  king  ;  one  that  had  some  place  at  the  court  of  Herod  Antipas,  who  was  then 
tetrarch  of  Galilee.     St.  Jerome  renders  it  Palatin.     But  the  great  mistake  of  alt 
about  this  word  is  in  the  Latin  version,  which  he  reads  Regulus,  bv  mistake  read- 
ying the  Greek  word  BasiliscosfprBasilicos. 


of  the  llohj  Bible.  253 

-Mtcr  this,  Jesus  left  Nazareth,  and  came  to  Capernaum, 
a  ni<..»tin»e  toun,  and  oi  i;reat  resort,  chotjsing  that  tor  the 
^cene  of  his  preaehing,  and  jilace  of  residence  :  ii)V  now  the 
time  was  fulfilled  that  the  office  of  John  Baptist  should  ex- 
pire,  and  the  kingdom  of  God  was  at  hand.  Our  blessed 
Saviour  therefore  preached  the  sum  of  the  gospel,  faith, 
unci  repentance.  And  what  they  were,  all  his  future  ser- 
mons fully  declared.  '    - 

While  he  dwelt  in  this  town  of  Capernaum,*  the  work 
of  the   gospel    becoming  great  and  extensive,  the   Holy 
Jesus   thought  it  convenient  to   choose   disciples   to  his 
ministry  and  service  in  the  work  of  preaching,  and  to  be 
Avitnesses  of  all  that  he  should  say  and  do,  for  ends  which 
were  afterwards  made  public.    In  order  to  which  he  w  alked 
by  the  sea-side,  where  he  saw  two  brothers,  Simon  w  ho  is 
called  Peter,  and  Andrew  his  brother,  casting  a  net  into  the 
sea,  for  they  were  fishermen.     While  he  was  preaching 
there,  the  people  so  thronged  about  him,  that  he  was  obli- 
ged to  enter  into  Simon's  ship ;  and  desiring  him  to  put 
oft'  a  little  way  iVom  the  land,  he  sat  down  and  taught  the 
people  from  the  ship  :  which  sermon  of  his  he  confirms  im- 
mediately w  ith  a  miracle  :  for  as  soon  as  he  had  done  speak- 
ing to  the  people,  he  ordered  Simon  to  launch  out  into  the 
deep,  and  let  down  the  nets ;  w  ho  despairing  of  success 
from  the  want  of  it  during  the  preceding  night,  told  Jesus 
it  would  be  to  no  purpose ;  however,  in  obedience  to  him 
he  would  let  the  nets  down,  which  he  had  no  sooner  done, 


*  Capernaum.  This  place  is  no  where  mentioned  in  the  Old  Testament.  Pro- 
bably it  was  one  of  those  towns  which  the  Jews  built  upon  their  return  from  Ba- 
bylon. It  is  conjectured,  that  it  stood  somewhere  on  the  north-west  shore  of  the 
lake  of  Gcnesareth.  This  lake,  according  to  Josephus  was  a  hundred  furlongs  in 
length,  or  twelve  miles  and  a  half,  and  its  breadth  forty  furlongs,  or  five  miles. 

Formerly  it  was  called  the  Sea  ofChinneroth,  Numb,  xxxiv.  11,  but  in  later  times 
the  Sea  of  Galilee,  and  the  Sea  rf  Tiberias.  The  river  Jordan  runs  through  the 
middle  of  it,  and  stocks  it  with  a  great  variety  of  excellent  fish. 

The  countries  round  about  this  lake  enjoyed  a  large  share  of  our  Lord's  com- 
pany and  instructions.  And  thus  "  Galilee  of  the  Gentiles,"  or,  rather,  the  boun- 
dary of  the  Gentile!,  (^Galil  Hagngim,')  or  those  parts  of  Palestine  which  bordered 
on  the  heathen  countries,  "  saw  a  great  light,  and  to  them  which  sat  in  the  regiovi 
and  shadow  of  death,  light  sprung  up,"  Matt.  iv.  16. 


254  A  Complete  History 

but  he  inclosed  such  a  muhitude  of  fishes,  that  the  net 
broke,  and  they  were  forced  to  call  to  their  partners  for 
help;  who  coming,  filled  both  the  ships,  so  that  they  began 
to  sink.  This  prodigious  draught  of  fish  struck  Simon 
Peter  and  his  partners  with  amazement  and  fear;  insomuch 
that  Peter,  under  a  sense  of  his  own  un worthiness,  fell 
down  at  the  feet  of  Jesus,  and  desired  him  to  depart  from 
him,  for  he  was  a  sinful  man.  But  Jesus  speaks  comfort 
to  Peter,  bids  him  not  fear ;  for  by  that  miracle  he  had 
consigned  him  and  his  partners  to  become  fishers  of  men, 
who  by  their  prudence,  holiness,  and  evangelical  doctrine, 
should  gain  souls  to  God.  And  as  soon  as  they  had 
brought  their  ships  to  land,  and  secured  them,  Jesus  com- 
manded Simon  and  his  brother  AndreNv  to  follow  him ; 
who  in  dutiful  obedience  to  the  call  of  their  blessed  Lord, 
left  their  nets  and  all  their  connexions,  and  followed  him. 
When  Jesus  had  proceeded  a  little  farther,  he  saw  two 
other  persons,  James  the  son  of  Zebedee,  and  John  his 
brother,  in  a  ship  with  Zebedee  their  father,  mending  their 
nets.  And  immediately  he  called  them,  \^hose  early  faith 
and  cheerful  obedience  to  the  commands  of  the  Lord 
caused  them  to  enter  into  the  •  service  of  him,  who  alone 
was  able  to  emancipate  them  from  the  slavery  of  sin,  and 
of  this  wicked  world.  They  therefore,  leaving  their  father 
Zebedee  in  the  ship  with  the  hired  servants,  immediately 
followed  him.'*  With  this  little  family,  Jesus  went  up 
and  down  Galilee,  preaching  the  Gospel  of  the  kingdom, 
liealing  all  manner  of  diseases,  curing  demoniacs,  cleansing 
lepers,  and  administering  strength  and  comfort  to  all  dis- 
eased and  afflicted  persons  that  were  brought  to  him. 

Among  the  many  instances  of  remarkable  cures  which 
Jesus  wrought,  one  was  very  conspicuous  ;  for  while  he 
was  teaching  in  a  synagogue  at  Capernaum,  and  the  peo- 
ple stood  astonished  at  his  doctrine  (for  the  authority 
and  pouer  with  which  he  expressed  himself,  proved  him 


*  Him.  Our  Lord  was  pleased  to  call  his  first  disciples,  not  from  the  palaces 
c£  kings,  or  the  schools  of  philosophers,  but  from  among  the  poor  and  unlearned, 
that  the  success  of  his  gospel,  "  the  excellency  of  the  power,"  might  the  more 
evidently  appear  to  be  <*  of  God  and  not  of  man." 


ofthe  Holy  Bible.  255 

to  be  more  than  mortal)  to  add  to  their  admiration,  one 
of  the  congregation  that  was  possessed  \\ith  an  unclean 
spirit  cried  \\\i\\  a  loud  voice,  "  Let  us  alone,  what  have 
we  to  do  with  thee,  thou  Jesus  of  Nazarcdi,  art  thou 
come  to  destroy  us?  I  know  thee  who  thou  art,  the  Holy 
one  of  God. "  Thus  the  devils  themselves  confessed  him 
to  be  the  very  Christ,  the  Son  of  God  :  but  Jesus  re- 
buked the  devils,  not  suftering  them  farther  to  proclaim 
him  to  the  world ;  choosing  rather  to  implant  faith  in 
the  hearts  of  his  disciples  by  suitable  arguments,  and  the 
holy  influence  of  his  Spirit,  than  to  be  manifested  by 
the  conviction  and  forced  testimonies .  of  accursed  and 
unwilling  spirits.  These  wonders  spread  his  fame  abroad 
universally,  which  daily  increased  by  the  addition  of 
new  miracles :  for  going  from  the  Synagogue  to  Simon's 
house,  by  a  touch  of  his  sacred  hand,  he  cured  tlie  mo- 
ther of  Simon's  wife  of  a  fever.  "I'hese  repeated  in- 
stances of  his  di\ine  power  and  authority  invite  all  peo- 
ple either  through  curiosity  or  necessity  to  come  to  him, 
but  especially  the  latter;  for  whoever  had  any  diseased 
pers^'jns  among  their  relations  and  friends,  or  such  as  were 
possessed  by  devils,  brought  them  to  him,  in  an  assured 
expectation  of  speedy  ein'e  and  relief;  of  which  none  M'ho 
ever  addressed  themselves  to  him  failed,  for  his  comj)as- 
sion  was  as  great  as  his  power.  I'hese  miraculous  cures 
rendered  him  the  subject  of  general  conversation  and  ad- 
miration ;  insomuch,  that  by  the  continual  application  of 
the  distressed  to  him,  he  was,  as  it  were,  besieged  by  an 
army  of  invalids  in  Simon's  house,  who  flocked  thither  for 
relief,  and  whom  he  expeditiously  dismissed  with  cure 
and  comfort. 

After  he  had  healed  those  multitudes  which  came  to  Si- 
mons' house,  he  retired  into  a  desert  place  very  early  in 
the  morning,  that  he  might  have  an  opportunity  to  pray, 
free  from  the  importunities  and  noise  of  the  multitude. 
Eut  he  could  not  be  so  hid,  being  soon  discovered  even 
in  his  vciy  soliuide  ;  for  the  multitude  found  him  out, 
thronging  him  widi  their  constant  attendance.  To  pre- 
vent their  more  importunate  addresses,  Jesus  plainly  told 
them,  he  must  preach  the  gospel  to  other  chies  also,  re- 
solving to  pass  to  the  other  side  of  the  lake  of  Gencsa- 


256  A  Complete  History 

reth,  so  to  avoid  the  throng  ;  whither,  as  he  \mxs  passing, 
a  scribe  offered  himself  as  a  disciple,  till  Jesus  candidly 
informed  him  that  his  condition  was  worse  than  thai  of 
foxes  and  birds,  for  whom  an  habitation  was  provided, 
but  none  for  him,  no  not  a  place  to  lay  his  head,  and  find 
rest.  What  afterward  became  of  this  forward  professor 
we  find  not.  Others  who  were  probationers  of  this  fel- 
lowship, Jesus  bound  to  a  speedy  profession,  not  suffer- 
ing one  to  go  home  to  bid  his  friends  farewell,  nor  ano- 
ther so  much  as  to  bury  his  dead. 

By  the  time  that  Jesus  reached  the  ship  it  was  late, 
and  he,  heavy  to  sleep,  slept  as  soundly  as  weariness  and 
innocence  could  make  him,  insomuch  that  a  violent  storm 
which  dien  happened  could  not  tiwake  him  ;  till  the  ship 
almost  covered  with  the  impetuous  fury  and  dashing  of  the 
wav£s,  the  men  already  sunk  in  their  spirits,  and  the  ship 
ready  to  sink  too,  the  disciples  awaked  him,  and  called 
for  help,  saying,  "  Master,  carest  not  thou  that  we  pe- 
rish?" Jesr.  3  arising,  reproved  their  unbelief,  and  com- 
manding the  winds  to  be  still,  and  the  sea  peaceable, 
immediately  there  Vvas  a  great  calm.  This  excited  fresh 
surprise  in  all  the  people  in  the  ship,  who,  seeing  with 
what  authority  he  restrained  the  raging  winds  and  waves,, 
could  not  forbear  asking  who  he  was,  though  his  actions 
plainly  denoted  him  a  person  sent  from  God,  and  endued 
with  divine  pov.'er. 

The  storm  thus  appeased,  they  presently  arrived  in 
the  land  of  the  Gerasens,*  or  Gadarenes.  Near  to  the 
city  of  Gadara,  there  were  many  sepulchres  in  the  caves 
of  the  rocks,t  where  the  dead  were  buried,  and  where 

*  Gerasens.  St.  Matthew,  ch.  viii.  v.  28,  calls  them  so  ;  but  St.  Mark,  ch.  v. 
ver.  1,  and  St.  Luke,  ch.  viii.  ver.  26,  call  them  Gadarenes ;  the  reason  of  which 
is  their  lying  near  together.  The  word  Gergesenes  or  Gerasens  wa^  the  remain- 
ing name  of  an  extinct  people,  being  one  of  the  nations  whsm  the  sons  of  Jacob 
drove  from  their  inheritance.  In  this  land  there  were  two  cities ;  Gadara  from 
the  tribe  of  Gad,  to  whom  it  fell  by  lot  in  ihe  division  of  the  land,  (wliich  haviiig 
been  destroyed  by  the  Jews,  was  rebuilt  by  Pompey  at  the  request  of  Demetrius  _ 
Gadarensis,  Pompey's  freed-man  ;  and  near  it  was  Gerasa,  as  Josephus  reports. 
Which  diversity  of  towns  and  names  is  the  cause  of  the  various  recitation  of  this 
story  by  the  evangelists. 

f  Rocks.     The  sepulchres  of  the  Jews  were  frequently  hollowed  out  of  rocks, 
and  the  n^elanchol/  disposition  of  madmen  naturally  led  them  to  such  places. 


of  the  Ilohj  Rihle.  257 

many  siipcrslitioiis  persons  used  the  Memphitic  and  Thes- 
Siilic  rites,  invokiiii^  evil  spirits.  At  the  very  instant  of 
our  Saviour's  arrival  in  the  country  there  met  him  two* 
possessed  with  devils  from  these  tombs,  exceedingly 
fierce,  as  they  had  been  for  a  long  time,  and  so  Infested 
those  parts  that  no  man  durst  pass  that  way.  As  soon  as 
they  saw  the  holy  Jesus  approach,  they  cried  out,  "  Je- 
sus, thou  Son  of  God,  what  have  we  to  do  with  thee,  art 
thou  come  to  torment  us  before  our  time  ?"t  But  Jesus 
immediately  displays  his  power  over  them,  by  command- 
ing the  devils  out  of  the  possessed  persons.  There  was 
no  room  to  dispute  his  authority ;  they  must  forsake  the 
poor  wretches,  \\  horn  they  had  so  long  possessed  and  tor- 
tured, and  seek  another  habitation. 

At  that  time  there  were  certain  men  feeding  swine, f 
which  though  extremely  abhorred  by  the  Jewish  reli- 
gion, yet  for  the  use  of  the  Roman  armies,  and  quarter- 
ing of  soldiers,  they  were  permitted,  and  divers  privi- 
leges granted  to  the  masters  of  such  herds.  The  devils 
therefore  besought  Jesus  that  he  would  not  send  them, 
into  the  eternal  abyss,  but  permit  them  to  enter  into  the 


•  IkiO.  St.  Mark,  ch.  v.  ver.  1,  and  St.  Luke,  ch.  viii.  ver.  27,  mentions  but 
one  man;  St.  Matthew,  ch.  viii.  ver.  28,  mentions  two ;  which  difference  has  lit- 
tle weight  in  it,  if  any :  for  St.  Matthew  naming  two  says  the  truth,  and  the  others, 
which  name  but  one,  do  not  deny  that  there  were  more.  Besides,  St.  John,  ch. 
xxi.  ver.  25,  says,  the  evangelists  do  not  preffend  to  write  all  that  was  done  by 
Christ,  for  the  world  then  could  not  contain  all  the  boolj^  of  his  acts. 

Augustin  thinks  that  one  of  these  demoniacs  was  more  remarkable  than  the 
other,  perhaps  for  his  birth,  or  parts,  or  interest  in  the  country,  and  that  his  cure 
made  more  noise,  and  for  that  reason  was  mentioned  by  Mark  and  Luke,  while  they 
omitted  the  cure  of  the  other.  De  Consensu  Evang.  lib.  2,  No.  56. 

■\  Time.  That  is,  before  the  time  of  tlie  last  judgment,  when  they  are  to  be 
eternally  punished ;  till  then  they  remain  in  the  airy  region.  Thus  St.  Augustin  de 
civitate  Dei. 

\  Sidne.  Though  it  was  contrary  to  the  custom  of  the  Jews  to  keep  swine  ; 
yet  the  city  of  Gadara  being  a  Greek  city,  and  inhabited  chiefly  by  Greeks  and 
Syrians,  and  for  the  necessities  of  the  Roman  soldiers,  it  is  no  way  strange,  that 
swine  were  kept  there.  Besides,  this  city  of  Gadara  is  by  Josephus  reckoned 
among  the  Greek  cities  which  Pompey  took  from  the  Jews,  and  consequently  but- 
few,  if  any  Jews  at  that  time  inhabited  there. 

Vol.  II.  K  k 


258  .  ^  Complete  His  tori/ 

"Swine  ;  which  lie  allowed,  and  the  swine  immediately  ran 
down  a  steep  place  into  the  lake  of  Genesareth,  and  pe- 
rished in  the  waters :  revenging  hereby,  as  tliey  in  their 
diabolical  cunning  and  malice  thought,  their  being  dis- 
possessed of  man,  whom  they  delight  to  torment  and  de- 
stroy, and  so  exasperate  the  inhabitants  against  our  Lord 
for  the  loss  of  their  swine,  that  they  should  neither  enter- 
tain him  nor  his  gospel ;  which  at  that  time,  was  the  effect 
actually  produced  ;  for  this  event  so  offended  the  inhabi- 
tants, that  they  came  and  intreated  Jesus  to  leave  their 
countrj'.* 

These  Gadarenes  certainly  proved  themselves  unwor- 
thy of  the  distinguished  honour  of  enjoying  the  presence, 
discourses  and  miracles  of  the  Son  of  God  :  he  was  there- 
fore pleased  to  take  them  at  their  word,  and  immediately 
leave  their  country,  from  whence  we  find  him  bending 
his  course  to  the  lesser  Galilee,  and  so  again  to  the  city 
of  Capernaum,  where  he  was  met  by  several  Scribes  and 
Pharisees,  who  came  from  Galilee.  And  whi'e  they  were 
sitting  in  a  house,  which  was  so  encompassed  with  the 
multitude,  that  no  business  or  necessities  could  be  ad« 
mitted  at  the  door,  a  poor  paralytic  was  brought  by  four 
men  to  the  house,  where  being  denied  entrance  by  the 
vast  crouds  that  thronged  about  the  door,  their  earnest 
seal  and  hope  soon  furnished  them  with  means  to  ap- 
proach the  heavenly  physician ;  for  they  uncovered  the 
roof  of  the  house, f  and  let  the  sick  man  down  in  his  bed 


*  Country.  Though  several  difficulties  attend  the  explanation  of  this  story,  and 
relates  to  evil  spirits,  aiid  to  the  abyss  ;  yet  we  are  plainly  taught  a  very  useful  les 
son,  namely.  That  itwas  not  in  the  power  of  a  vast  number  of  evil  spirits,  todo  the 
least  mischief  even  to  so  contemptible  a  creature  as  a  swine,  without  divine  per- 
mission. This  should  encourage  all  christians  to  rely  on  the  providence  of  God, 
and  never  to  give  way  to  the  fear  of  evil  spirits. 

■j-  House.  Great  houses  in  the  east,  had  commonly  a  court  yard  in  the  midst- 
This  court  was  surrounded  with  cloisters,  and  chambers,  the  roof  of  which  was 
always  flat,  and  furnished  with  a  balustrade,  or  parapet  wall.  The  entrance  to  the 
roof  was  by  a  stair-case  from  the  porch,  so  that  access  might  be  had  to  it  by  the 
friends  of  the  paralytic,  who  let  him  down  by  cords,  having  first  removed  part  of 
the  parapet  into  the  court,  or  the  midst,  which  was  properl/  called   "  the  house." 


X 

\ 


of  the  Holy  Bible,  259 

with  cords  in  the  midst  before  Jesus,  as  he  was  conferring 
with  the  doctors.     He  knew  the  cause  of  this  extraordi- 
nary manner  of  conveying  this  poor   diseased  wretch  to 
him,  and  being  pleased  u  ith  their  faith,  he  saith  to  the 
sick   man,    "  Son,  be  comforted,  thy   sins  are   forgiven 
thee."     This  expression  offended  the  Scribes  and  Phari- 
"Tsees,    thinking   it  to  be   blaspl'.emy,  and  that  none  but 
God  could  forgive  sins;  wherefore  the  blessed  Jesus,  to 
verify  his  absolution  in  proportion  to  their  understandings 
(for  the  Jews  believed  that  all  afflictions  were  punishments 
tor  sin,  and  that  removing  the  punishment  was  forgiving 
the  sin)  to  prove  that  his  sins  were  forgiven  him,  remov- 
ed that  which  they  supposed  to  be  the  effect  of  his  sin,  and 
by  curing  the  palsy  prevented  their  farther  murmur  about 
the  pardon:   "That  ye  might  know,"    says   he,  "that 
the  Son  of  man  hath  power  on  earth  to  forgive  sins,  he 
saith  to  the  sick  of  the  palsy,  Arise,*  take  up  thy  bed  and 
walk."     Immediately,  the  man  arose  up  among  them,  and 
took  up  the  bed  or  mattrass  on  which  he  lay,  and  went 
forth  before  them  all,  insomuch  that  they  were  all  amazed : 
and  being  fully  convinced  by  ocular   demonstration,  and 
satisfied  according  to  their  own  principles,  they  could  no 
longer  deny  or  disown  that  power  which  God  had  so  visi- 
bly bestowed  on  his  blessed  Son  Jesus ;  which  struck  them 
with  fear  and  amazement,  and  inspired  them  all  with  the 
spirit  of  praise  to  thank  and  glorify  God  :   which  none  did 
more  joyfully  than  the   restored  paralytic,  who,  all   the 
way  he  returned  to  his  habitation,  praised  God  for  his 
mercy. 

It  was  not  long  after  the  performance  of  this  mighty 
cure,  that  Jesus  again  walked  toward  the  sea,  and  as  he 
passed  on  his  way  thither,  seeing  Matthew  the  publicanf 


See  Luke  v.  19.     Thus  Dr.  Shaw  and  other  travellers  describe  the  houses  of  the 
east.     See  also  Doddridge  and  Calmet. 

*  Arise.     Matt.  ix.  1.     Mark  ii.  1.     Luke  v.  18. 

•}■  Publican.  Though  the  office  of  publican  among  the  Romans  was  very  honour- 
able ;  yet  among  both  Jews  and  Greeks,  the  name  and  persons  were  odious,  not 
only  because  they  were  strangers,  but  because  the  Jews  stood  upon  the  charter  of 
Their  nation  and  privilege  of  their  religion,  that  none  of  them  should  pay  tribute ; 


260  >4  Complete  History 

bitting  at  the  receipt*  of  custom,  he  ordered  him  to  fol- 
low him.  Matthew  no  sooner  hears  the  divine  summons 
but  he  obeys,  and  readily  quits  his  office,  and  all  those 
dazling  heaps  of  gold,  which  command  all  things  else,  but 
have  not  power  enough  to  bribe  his  longer  stay  with  them. 
Matthew  being  thus  called,  invites  his  master  to  a  feast, 
to  whioh  he  had  also  invited  many  of  his  brethren  publi- 
cans, and  others.  But  the  Pharisees,  when  they  saw  that 
hp  cat  with  publicans  and  sinners  (for  so  they  called  all  be- 
sides themselves)  murmured  and  whispered  against  Christ, 
and  expostulated  with  his  disciples,  why  their  master  and 
themselves  would  do  that  which  was  so  contrary  to  the 
Jewish  law,  namely,  to  eat  and  drink  with  heathens,  and 
those  that  conversed  with  them  ?  But  Jesus  undertakins: 
the  argument,  gave  so  fair  an  account  of  his  intercourse 
with  those  persons,  that  the  objection  turned  to  his  praise  ; 
for  he  conversed  with  them,  because  they  were  sinners  : 
and  it  was  as  if  a  physician  should  be  reproved  for  his  com- 
munication with  sick  persons :  therefore  was  he  sent,  not 
to  call  the  righteous,  but  sinners  to  repentance,  to  ad- 
vance the  reputation  of  mercy  above  the  rites  of  sacrifice. 
They  farther  urged  the  practice  of  John's  disciples,  who 
fasted  often ;  but  that  the  disciples  of  Jesus  did  not  fast. 
In  answer  to  which  Jesus  tells  them,  that  the  case  of  his 
disciples  was  the  same  with  those  to  whom  the  bridegroom 
\vas  come  in  person  to  espouse  the  church  ;  but  that  the 
days  should  come  when  the  bridegroom  should  be  taken 
from  them,  and  that  in  those  days  they  should  fast, 

^During    this     interview     and    argument    between   the 
'blessed  Jesus  and  the  proud  Pharisees,  Jairus,  a  rulerf  of 


and  also  because  they  exercised  great  injustice  and  oppression,  having  a  power  un- 
limited. 

*  Receipt.     The  Greek  word  Tc/ohioh,  signifies  a  publican's  stall. 

•f-  Ruler.  There  was  among  the  Jews  the  less  and  greater  Sanhedrim,  or  con- 
sistory, Mat.  V.  22.  The  former  consisting  of  twenty-three  judges  in  every  city  ; 
the  latter  of  se'vcnty-two  in  Jerusalem.  The  greater  Sanhedrim  was  made  up  of 
the  chief  priests  and  elders,  or  presbyters  of  the  people,  called  often  the  elders  of  Is- 
rael, and  the  scribes  of  the  people,  Judg.  v.  11.  They  of  the  less  consistory  were 
(.•ailed  rulers,  as  here. 


of  the  IIolij  Bihlex  '261 

the  svnagOG^ue,  came  to  him,  desiring  him  that  he 
would  help  his  daughter,  who  then  la}'  at  the  point  of 
death.  He  questioned  not  the  ability  of  the  holy  Jesus, 
but  was  conlident  that  if  he  laid  his  hand  upon  her,  she 
\vould  recover.  The  forwardness  of  Jairus's  faith  claimed 
our  Saviour's  comjxission,  who  was  always  more  ready  to 
grant  than  the  people  were  to  ask  :  therefore  he  immediately 
went  with  him  to  his  house  ;  to  which,  as  he  was  walking, 
a  woman  met  him  that  had  been  diseased  with  a  bloody 
flux  for  twelve  years,  without  any  hope  of  remedy  from 
art  or  nature,  and  had  consumed  her  fortune  in  expecta- 
tion of  a  cure,  but  to  no  purpose.  This  woman  having 
heard  of  the  many  miracles  which  Jesus  had  wrought  upon 
all  diseased  and  demoniac  persons,  and  in  the  confident 
persuasion  of  a  holy  and  strong  faith,  said,"  If  I  might 
but  touch  his  clothes,  I  shall  be  whole."  The  poor  wo- 
man came  trembling,  full  of  hope  and  reverence  ;  and 
thinking  that  in  the  crowd  she  might  not  be  perceived,  she 
gently  touched  his  garment,  and  immediately  her  disease  was 
healed.  Jesus  being  sensible  of  that  divine  emanation^ 
which  was  the  cause  of  this  cure,  turned  about  inthefpress, 
and  asked  who  touched  him  ?  Every  one  that  was  near, 
treated  this  question  w  ith  indifference,  it  being  altogether 
impossible  but  that  in  such  a  crowd  many  must  touch  him  : 
but  the  poor  woman  who  had  received  the  benefit,  was  most 
sensibly  affected  ;  for  fearing  her  presumption  had  carried 
her  too  far,  in  thus  clandestinely  stealing  a  cure,  as  she 
thought,  in  great  disorder  and  concern  came  to  Jesus,  and 
at  his  feet  declared  the  whole  truth  of  what,  had  happened 
to  her.  Jesus,  with  joy  and  compassion,  at  once  relieved 
her  from  her  fears,  assuring  her  that  her  cure  was  the  effect 
of  her  faith,  and  so  dismissed  her  with  the  blessing  of 
peace,  and  a  confirmation  of  her  being  perfectly  healed, 
"  Be  whole  of  thy  plague  :"  and  the  woman  was  made 
whole  from  that  very  hour. 

After  the  performance  of  this  miracle  Jesus  hastened  to 
the  house  of  Jairus,  from  wht- nee  a  servant  came,  and  met 
them  with  the  news  of  his  daughter's  death,  desiring  him  to 
give  Jesus  no  larther  trouble ;  who,  over-hearing  what  the 
servant  said,  comforted  Jairus,  bid  him  not  fear,  but  be- 
lieve, and  he  should  find  the  blessed  effects  of  his  faith  in 


262  J  Complete  History, 

the  recovery  of  his  daughter.  Jairus  joyfully  attends 
our  Saviour  to  his  house,  v.here  they  find  the  minstrels* 
and  other  people  busily  preparing  for  the  interment  of  the 
ruler's  daughter,  with  music  and  other  solemnities  for  the 
funeral.  For  which  Jesus  reproves  them,  saying,  "  Why 
make  ye  this  ado  ?  Weep  not,  but  give  place  ;  for  the 
maid  is  not  dead,  but  sleepeth."  Then  entering  with  the 
parents  into  her  chamber,  he  approached  her  as  to  one  that 
was  asleep,  and  taking  her  by  the  hand,  he  called,  and 
awakened  her  from  her  sleep  of  death  ;  which  struck  her 
parents  with  such  astonishment,  that  they  could  scarce  be- 
lieve their  own  eyes  :  but  Jesus,  to  confirm  this  miracle, 
ordered  them  to  give  her  something  to  eat,  to  convince 
them  she  was  alive. 

This  miracle  thus  happily  performed  to  the  admiration 
and  joy  of  the  afilicted  parents,  he  leaves  them  to  the 
enjoyment  of  the  comfortable  fruits  of  it,  strictly  charging 
them  to  conceal  it,  hereby  intending  to  make  the  noise 
and  report  of  him  less  popular.  But  it  is  too  natural  to 
humanity  to  desire  most  earnestly  that  from  which  we  are 
most  strictly  restrained.  The  glad  parents,  and  other  wit- 
nesses of  this  miracle,  cannot  conceal  their  joy,  which  in 
gratitude  for  so  great  a  mercy  they  thought  themselves 
obliged  to  divulge. 

And  here  it  is  to  be  observed,  that,  as  if  time  was  to 
be  one  continued  series  of  wonders  of  the  holy  Jesus,  not 
a  day  passed  without  some  eminent  performances  and  ex- 
ertions of  his  divinity  :  a  single  instance  in  one  day  or 
place  will  not  complete  his  fame,  but  each  moment  of 
lime,  and  every  place  where  he  went,  must  give  testi- 
mony of  his  divine  power  and  virtue.  He  had  no  sooner 
departed  from  Jairus,  than  two  blind  men  addressed  them- 
selves to  him  for  help ;  first  recognizing  his  family, 
*'  Thou  son  of  David,"  and  then  imploring  his  aid, 
*'  Have  mercy  upon  us."    Jesus  commanding  the  blind 


♦  Minstrels.  This  custom  of  having  musical  instruments  in  funerals  crept  in 
among  the  Jews  but  of  later  days,  and  from  the  rites  and  ceremonies  of  the  Gen- 
tiles :  for  in  the  Old  Testament  there  is  no  mention  made  of  any  such  solemnity 
and  custom. 


of  the  Holy  Bible.  263 

men  to  be  brought  to  him,  demanded  of  them  uhether 
they  had  faith  enouj^h  to  expect  a  cure  of  tlieir  bUndness 
from  him  ?  To  which  they  joyfully  replied,  tliey  believed: 
and  as  a  testimony  of  his  power,  and  their  faith,  he  touch- 
ed their  eyes,  proposing  the  cure  conditionally  to  them, 
*'  according  to  your  faith  be  it  unto  you."  The  blessed 
efi'ects  followed  both  ;  for  immediately  their  eyes  were 
opened,  and  they,  who  had  long  been  deprived  of  the 
blessing  and  comfort  of  light,  now  gladly  beheld  it :  but 
with  infinitely  greater  satisfaction,  v.hcn  they  saw  **  the 
''  true  Light,  that  came  to  enlighten  the  world." 

This  miraculous  cure  was  succeeded  by  another  as 
great  as  the  preceeding,  but  of  a  different  nature  ;  for  as 
the  holy  Jesus  passed  along,  the  people  seeing  the  mighty 
power  whereby  he  had  healed  others,  questioning  not  in 
the  least  his  omnipotent  gift,  brought  to  him  a  dumb  man 
possessed  with  a  devil,  whom  he  immediately  dislodged, 
so  much  to  the  astonishment  of  the  spectators,  that  they 
all  unanimously  confessed  that  the  like  was  never  before 
seen  in  Israel ;  but  the  spiteful  Pharisees,  who  being- 
ready  to  burst  with  envy,  could  forbear  no  longer,  said 
that  he  cast  out  these  devils  by  the  help  of  the  prince  of 
the  devils.  This  malicious  and  groundless  calumny  our 
blessed  Lord  wisely  refuted,  by  turning  their  own  argu- 
ment upon  them  :  for,  said  he,  "  How  can  Satan  drive  out 
Satan?  Or  if  the  whole  community  of  devils  make  an 
insurrection  and  schism  against  one  another,  will  they  not 
soon  be  destroyed  ?"  By  this  the  malice  of  the  Pharisees 
became  a  contradiction,  being  in  itself  unreasonable ;  no- 
thing being  more  ridiculous  than  for  the  devil  to  divide 
his  kingdom,  and  consequently  destroy  his  own  power. 
But  this  was  but  an  eruption  of  their  malice  :  all  the  last 
year,  which  was  the  first  of  Jesus's  preaching,  ever}-  thing 
was  quiet,  neither  Jews,  Samaritans,  or  Galileans,  openly 
opposed  his  doctrine  or  person,  but  he  preached  freeh',  and 
without  any  external  molestation. 

The  first  and  peaceable  year  of  our  blessed  Lord*s 
preaching  being  expired,  there  was  a  feast  of  the  Jews, 
and  Jesus  went  up  to  Jerusalem.  This  feast  was  the  se- 
cond passover  he  kept  after  he  began  to  preach.  Being- 
arrived  at   Jerusalem,    he  finds  an  impotent  person   Iv- 


264  J.  Complete  History 

ing  at   the   Sheep- Pool  *    of  Bethesda,    waiting  till   an 


*  Sheep-Pool.  This  Sheep-pool  was  the  place  where  the  sacrifices  used  to  be 
washed;  and  Bethesda,  a  house  of  mercy,  so  called  in  Hebrew,  or  an  hospital, 
where  the  sick  lay  to  be  cured.  As  to  the  Sheep-pool,  there  are  many  conjectures 
about  its  medicinal  virtue.  The  use  of  it  in  relation  to  sheep  was  not  for  the  wash- 
ing of  live  sheep  there  by  such  as  brought  them  to  be  sacrificed,  out  the  carcases 
or  entrails  of  them  when  they  were  slain  :  and  this  was  done  by  the  Nethinim 
(or  inferior  oificers)  who  delivered,them  to  the  priests  to  be  offered  in  the  temple  : 
which  supposes  this  washing  to  be  intermediate  between  the  slaying  and  offering 
the  sacrifices,  and  to  belong  to  all  the  sacrifices,  not  the  sheep  only.  Such  was 
the  opinion  of  some,  who  gave  this  as  the  commonly  assigned  reason  of  the  di- 
vine healing  power  that  these  waters  had,  because  the  sacrifices  were  washed 
there. 

Dr.  Maclane  is  of  opinion  that  this  was  a  public  bath,  as  the  word  Troxv/u/i^-^* 
signifies,  as  is  plain  from  the  sense  of  its  primitive  ttoxv/ulSav  to  sivim,  Acts  xxvii.  43, 
and  from  Josephus,  Ant.  xv.  3,  who  uses  it  to  denote  the  baths  at  Jericho.  Where- 
fore, their  opinion  who  affirm  that  this  pool  served  for  washing  the  sheep  designed 
for  sacrifice  before  they  were  driven  into,  the  temple,  and  the  entrails  also  of  the 
beasts  sacrificed  there,  seems  to  be  v>'ithout  foundation.  Besides,  it  is  inconsistent 
with  the  situation  of  Bethesda,  near  the  sheep-gate  in  the  south-east  wall  of  the 
city,  or  according  to  the  compilers  of  the  Universal  History,  in  that  which  was  on 
the  north-east,  a  great  way  from  the  temple. 

The  ingenious  editor  of  Calmet's  dictionary,  inhis  Fragiiekts,  No.  66,  pro- 
poses another  method  of  solving  the  difficulties  which  attend  this  relation. 

He  supposes  that  there  were,  in  fact,  two  distinct  luatera ;  first,  the  constant  bo- 
dy of  water  in  the  poo!,  wherein  the  sheep  were  v^^ashed,  before  they  were  sacri- 
ficed ;  and,  secondly,  an  occasional  issue  of  water,  falling  from  a  crevice  of  the 
rock  whereinto  this  bason  was  sunk,  from  the  height  of  several  feet ;  he  conceives 
that  </6/s  was  the  medicinal  water  which  "  was  troubled  at  the  season  ;"  and  fall- 
ing perhaps  in  no  great  quantity,  the  person  who  could  first  get  to  it,  received  its 
full  benefit,  because  he  received  it  fresh  from  the  rock,  and  before  it  was  mingled 
with  the  waters  of  the  pool.  The  account  given  of  the  spot  by  travellers  partly 
agrees  with  this,  for  it  seems  that  the.  spring  issues  from  between  the  stones  of  a 
wall,  above  the  bath. 

Dr.  Doddridge  thinks  that  in  consequence  of  the  Jews  making  so  ungrateful  a 
return  to  Christ  for  this  miracle,  the  healing  virtue  of  Bethesda  w?.s  lost,  and  ke 
observes  that  though  the  evangelist  speaks  of  the  pool  as  still  at  Jerusalem,  when 
he  wrote,  yet  he  mentions  "  the  descent  of  the  angel"  as  a  thing  which  had  been, 
but  not  still  continuing.  Sec  John  v.  ii.  and  iv.  and  this  may  account  for  the  si- 
lence of  Josephus  concerning  the  pool  of  Bethesda,  who  in  several  cases  seems  to 
have  been  afraid  of  disgusting  his  pagan  readers  by  relating  any  thing  supernatural 
or  man'ellous. 


of  the  Holy  Bihle.  ^ 

angcl*  at  a  certain  season  should  move  the  waters,  after 
wliich  wiiosocvcr  stepped  first  in  was  cured  of  his  infir- 
mity. This  poor  man  had  laboured  thirty-eight  years  un- 
der his  distemper,  and  waited  every  season  for  an  oppor- 
tunity of  getting  first  into  the  pool,  but  still  was  prevent- 
ed by  some  one  or  other  of  the  hospital,  who  got  in  before 
him.  Jesus  seeing  him  lying  under  so  many  years  disap- 
pointmcnt,  had  compassion  on  him,  and  asked  him.  Wilt 
thou  be  made  whole '?  The  poor  cripple  supposing  he 
would  have  offered  him  his  assistance  to  get  into  the  pool, 
told  him  he  had  no  one  to  help  him  into  the  water.  But 
Jesus  meant  him  a  more  immediate  cure,  for  he  command" 
ed  him  to  rise,  take  up  his  bed,  and  walk.  The  man  was 
immediately  made  whole,  and,  as  his  heavenly  physician 
commanded,  took  up  his  bed,  and  prepared  to  walk  to  his 
house.  This  cure  happened  to  be  wrought  upon  the  Sab- 
bath ;  and  therefore  the  Jews  took  occasion  from  thence  to 
quarrel  with  the  man  that  was  cured,  telling  him  that  it  be- 
ing the  Sabbath  he  could  not  answer  for  carrying  his  bed. 
But  he,  greatly  delighted  with,  and  entirely  depending 
on  the  power  and  authority  of  the  person  who  had  cured 
him,  tells  the  malicious  Jews,  that  he  that  had  cured  him 
gave  him  authority  to  carry  his  bed.  They  asked  him 
who  that  was  :  but  the  man  knew  not ;  for  Jesus  had 
withdra^vn  himself.  Soon  after,  seeing  the  man  in  the 
temple,  and  suspecting,  or  perhaps  seeing  something  ir- 
regular in  his  demeanor,  he  gives  him  this  preventive  ad- 
monition, "Behold,  thou  art  whole  now ;  sin  no  more^ 
lest  a  worse  evil  happen  unto  thee."     The  man  now  well 


*  Angel.  The  sick  person  was  to  go  into  the  pool  immediately  upon  the  moving 
or  troubling  the  waters ;  which  must  signify,  that  just  upon  the  moving  they  had 
a  force,  which  soon  cooled  or  decayed  again  by  the  sinking  of  that  which  was  stir- 
red up,  or  by  the  evaporation  of  it.  All  which,  if  it  be  a  natural,  and  no  miracu- 
lous way  of  curing,  it  will  be  the  more  unlikely  that  the  word  Angel  should  here 
signify  an  Angel  of  God.  For  it  may  easily  be  supposed  that  there  was  an  officer 
or  servant  sent  down  by  them  that  had  any  skill  in  it,  to  trouble  the  waters  at  a  fit 
time  ;  and  being  a  messenger  sent  before,  as  it  were,  to  prepare  for  the  sick  man's 
coming  after  him,  might  well  be  called  Angelos,  not  «tn  angel,  but  a  messenger* 
which  the  word  in  Greek  properly  signifies. 

Vol.  II.  LI 


266  *d  Complete  History 

knowing  his  physi  ian,  told  Jlvv>  he  met,  that  it  was 
Jesus  who  held  healed  im  .  \a  hich  so  enraged  them  that 
the}  sought  tv  sia;,  hi<.  :  lor  this  offence  seemed  double 
to  the  Jews,  loth  working  a  cure,  which  they  thought  un- 
lawful on  the  Sabbath,  and  also  commandirig  the  man  to 
carry  his  bed.  To  this  exception  of  theirs  against  him, 
beciiuse  he  cured  on  the  Sabbath,  Jesus  made  this  reply  : 
*'  God*  my  Father,  from  whose  rest  you  take  the  cele- 
braiion  of  the  Sabbath,  did  not  so  rest  from  all  work  on 
the  Sabbath  ;  but  that  ever  since  he  hath  done  works  of 
providence,  of  preservation  and  mercy  every  day  :  and  why 
may  not  I  his  Son  do  so  without  exception,  my  Father's 
actions  and  mine  being  the  same  ?"  This  the  Jews,  that 
knew  the  Son  of  God  must  be  of  the  divine  nature,  and 
therefore  equal  with  God,  interpreted  to  be  blasphemy  in 
him,  whom  they  believed  not  to  be  the  Messiah,  and 
therefore  ought  to  be  punished  with  death.  To  this  ex- 
ception of  theirs  against  Christ,  he  answered,  "  Although 
I  affirm  myself  to  be  the  Son  of  God,  and  so  am  rightly 
concluded  by  you  to  be  equal  with  my  Father,  yet  this  is 
far  from  being  impiety  in  me,  far  from  opposing  myself 
against  God,  for  I  do  nothing  but  what  is  the  express  will 
t)f  my  Father  ;  and  therefore  it  was  reasonable  for  me  to 
sayt  what  I  did,  that  my  Father's  actions  will  justify  me  in 
doing  the  same.  For  out  of  the  infinite  love  my  Father 
bears  to  me,  he  communicates  all  things  to  me,  and  by 
that  means  you  are  likely  to  have  greater  matter  of  won- 
der than  the  curing  of  this  sick  man  on  the  Sabbath  can 
amount  to  ;  for  even  to  the  raising  of  the  dead,  (whicii 
is  far  greater  than  that  of  curing  the  sick)  my  Father 
hath  communicated  his  power  to  me ;  and  as  my  Father 
raiseth,  so  will  I  whomsoever  I  please  ;  and  for  the  office 
of  judging  angels  or  men,  my  Father  doth  it  not  himself, 
but  hath  put  all  power  into  the  Son's  hand.  According 
to  this  you  must  be  hypocrites,  to  pretend  that  you  zeal- 
ously honour -the  Father,  when  you  despise  and  disho 
Hour  me,  who  am  sent  with  this  power  on  purpose  to 


•  God.     See  John  v.  from  vcr.  17,  to  the  end  of  the  chapter. 
t  Say.    John.  v.  17. 


II 


(if  the  Holy  Bible,  267 

l)e  honoured  by  all  men,  in  the  same  manner  as  my  Fa- 
ther is  honoured,  that  so  I  miiy  work  a  reform  uion 
am(>n(2j  you.  This  is  so  perfectly  the  will  of  my  Father, 
that  I  must  tell  you  that  on  your  hearkening  at  this  time 
to  me,  and  believing  and  entertaining  my  doctrine  as 
the  message  of  God,  depends  your  eternal  welfare.  I 
assure  you,  this  power,  which  God  my  Father  hath  given 
me  at  this  time,  extendeth  to  the  greatest  things,  even 
to  raising  the  dead  out  of  their  graves,  which  ye  shall 
shortly  see  exercised  by  me :  for  as  God  hath  of  himself 
power  to  give  life,  so  hath  he  given  this  power  to  me, 
and  1  possess  it.  And  as  I  am  God,  my  Father  hath  given 
me  all  power  and  authority  both  now  and  hereafter. 
Wonder  not  at  what  I  say  ;  for  there  shall  certainly  be  a 
time  of  general  resurrection  for  the  dead,  a  specimen  of 
which  shall  shortly  be  seen  among  you.  The  righteous 
shall  have  their  bodies  and  souls  united  in  bliss,  and  the 
wicked  have  also  a  restitution  of  their  bodies  to  receive 
their  punishment  and  sentence.  My  judgment  is  righ- 
teous and  agreeable  to  the  method  and  decree  of  my  Fa- 
ther, that  they  who  believe  on  me  shall  be  saved,  and 
they  that  reject  me  shall  be  condemned.  This  my  Fa- 
ther hath  declared ;  and  therefore  it  is  not  seeking  ho- 
nour or  revenge  to  myself  that  I  say  or  do  this,  but  go- 
ing according  to  the  will  of  my  Father.  Ye  know  there 
is  another  that  beareth  witness  of  me;  and  for  a  proof 
thereof  ye  sent  to  John,  who  baptized  me,  when  the 
Spirit  descended  on  me ;  and  he  saw  it,  and  testified  to 
you  the  truth  of  it.  He  was  Elias,  being  like  fire,  and 
his  word  like  a  burning  lamp,  and  for  a  while  ye  re- 
joiced to  hear  him  ;  but  as  soon  as  he  testified  of  me, 
then  ye  presently  rejected  him.  Ye  look  into  and  ex- 
amine the  Old  Testament,  whereon  ye  depend,  and  be- 
lieve, through  the  performance  of  the  Mosaical  law,  ye 
shall  have  eternal  life ;  but  on  examination  ye  will  find 
all  those  prophecies  are  types,  and  fulfilled  in  me,  and 
that  all  the  promises  of  life  therein  have  an  aspect  to 
the  Giver  of  life.  But  though  ye  look  on  these  as  the 
repository  of  your  present  and  future  bliss,  and  though 
they  direct  you  to  me  as  the  only  means  to  attam  it,  yet 
ye  wilfully  reject  me,  and  consequently  that  happiness, 


268  A  Complete  History 

Alas  !  It  is  not  your  good  opinion  or  approbation  that  I 
contend  for,  while  I  thus  speak :  ye  have  not  the  love  of 
God  in  you,  and  therefore  ye  reject  me.  Consider  the 
unreasonableness  of  your  actions  :  I  bring  my  commission 
from  God,  and  ye  regard  it  not ;  yet  if  another,  without 
any  commission  from  God,  a  mere  counterfeit,  in  his  own 
name  come  and  undertake  to  seduce  you,*  What  multi- 
tudes of  you  Jews  will  follow  him  ?  'Tis  not  possible  you 
■should  believe  aright,  that  are  so  much  in  love  with  the 
praise  of  men,  as  to  take  him  for  a  prophet  who  hath 
no  other  testimony  of  himself  that  he  is  so,  but  his  own, 
or  the  voice  of  other  men,  and  dare  not  believe  on  me ; 
the  rulers  for  fear  of  the  people,  and  the  people  for  fear 
of  the  rulers  ;  and  in  the  mean  while  both  contemn  the 
favour  and  approbation  of  God,  and  set  his  testimony  at 
nought,  and  reject  me  who  come  authorised  with  it. 
?Tis  not  so  much  I,  to  whom  you  have  done  this  affront, 
&nd  therefore  I  shall  not  bring  any  complaint  against  you 
before  the  Father  ;  but  it  is  }'our  own  prophet  Moses,  on 
^vhom  you  pretend  so  much  to  depend,  that  will  rise  up 
in  judgment,  and  testify  against  you.  Had  you  believed 
Moses,  that  prophet  whom  ye  seem  so  much  to  value,  his 
predictions  and  typical  representations  would  have  led  you 
to  believe  on  me,  in  whom  they  are  all  completed.  But  if 
your  own  Moses  cannot  prevail  with  you,  I  can  expect  to 
carry  no  weight  or  authority  with  you." 

Here  was  an  excellent  admonition,  mixed  with  love  and 
reproach,  terror  and  tenderness ;  and  though  the  very  worst 
that  the  Jews  could  make  of  it,  must  needs  terminate  in 
their  own  good,  yet  the  plainer  he  spake  the  more  stupid 
^nd  unintelligent  they  are  ;  and  the  more  affectionately  he 
invites  them,  the  more  stubbornly  they  reject  him. 

Upon  the  first  second-day  sabbath,  that  is,  the  ordinary 
sabbath  happening  in  the  passover  week,  probably  the  very 


*  Seduce  you.  Alluding  probably  to  Simon  Magus,  or  Judas,  of  Galilee;  the 
former  deceiving  the  Jews  with  his  pretended  miracles  ;  the  latter,  under  pre- 
tence of  patriotically  delivering  his  countrymen  from  the  Roman  yoke,  and  that  h 
was  unlawful  to  pay  tribute  to  Caesar,  led  4000  of  them  into  the  wilderness,  where 
Ihey  were  all  slain  by  the  Romans.  In  all  this  admirable  discourse,  our  blessc^l 
Lord  shews  the  Jews,  that  he  came  to  establish  a  kingdom  r.ot  of  this  world.. 


of  the  Holy  Bible.  269 

sabbath  that  was  honoured  uiih  the  cure  of  the  paralytic 
who  lav  in  Beihcsda,  Jesus  and  his  disciples  passed  tlirongh 
tlie  corn  fields  near  Jerusalem,  attended  by  some  of  the 
Pharisees.  But  the  latter,  seeing  the  disciples  pluck  the 
ears,  and  ealas  they  walked,  reproved  them,  and  complained 
of  them  to  their  master,  not  for  having  taken  what  they  had 
no  right  to,  the  law  authorising  them  to  do  this  (Deut. 
xxiii.  25,)  but  for  having  broken  the  sabbath  by  servile 
work,  such  as  they  supposed  plucking  and  rubbing  the 
ears  to  be.  Luke  vi.  1,  "  And  it  came  to  pass  on  the  se- 
cond sabbath  after  the  first,  that  he  went  through  the  corn 
fields  :  and  his  disciples  plucked  the  ears  of  corn,  and  did 
eat,  rubbing  them  in  their  hands."  This  accusation  was 
levelled  chiefly  against  Jesus  himself  for  having  as  they 
imagined  neglected  to  instil  a  due  reverence  of  the  sabbath 
into  the  minds  of  his  disciples.  But  he  easily  repelled  it 
-by  putting  the  Pharisees  in  mind  of  David,  who,  though  a 
prophet  as  well  as  a  king,  in  a  case  of  necessity,  ate  the 
sacred  shew- bread  contrary  to  the  law.  Lev.  xxiv.  9,  and 
of  the  priests  in  the  temple,  who  killed  the  sacrifices  on  the 
sabbath  day,  and  by  desiring  them  to  consider  a  passage, 
in  Hosea,  where  God  declares  that  he  has  greater  pleasure 
in  mercy  than  in  sacrifice  ;  and  by  explaining  unto  them 
the  end  of  the  sabbath  itself,  which  was  instituted  for  the 
benefit,  and  not  for  the  detriment  of  mankind. — He  began 
with  David's  action  in  the  matter  of  the  shew-bread, 
which  the  High-Priest  himself  was  accessary  to,  which  the 
Scriptures  record  with  no  mark  of  disapprobation,  and 
which  it  seems  the  doctors  never  had  condemned,  and  for 
that  reason  was  a  proper  vindication  of  the  disciples  in  the 
like  circumstances,  Mark  ii.  25,  "  And  he  said  unto  them. 
Have  ye  never  read  what  David  did,  when  he  had  need  and 
was  an  hungered,  he,  and  they  that  were  with  him  ?  How  he 
went  into  the  house  of  God  in  the  days  of  Abiathar*  the 


•  Abiatbar.  In  th6  history,  the  priest  from  whom  David  received  the  shew- 
bread  is  called  Ahirnelech :  and  it  is  generally  agreed  that  he  was  the  High- 
Priest,  because  Doeg  accused  him  of  enquiring  of  the  Lord  for  David,  (1  Sam.. 
xxii.  10,)  a  thing  which  none  but  the  High-Priest  having  on  the  ephod  could  do. 
If  that  be  true,  Ahimelech  must  have  been  the  High-Priest,  because  he  himself 
confessed  that  he  had  often  enquired  of  the  Lord  formerly  without  blame,  ver. 
15.    Accordingly  Josephus  calls  him  the  High-Priest  se\-eral  times. 


270  A  Complete  History  ' 

High-Priest,  and  did  eat  die  shew-bread,  which  is  not  law- 
ful to  eat,  but  for  the  priests,  and  gave  also  to  them  which 
were  widi  him  ?  The  house  of  God,  into  which  David  went 
for  the  shew-bread,  was  not  the  tabernacle,  for  none 
but  priests  could  go  in  thither.  But  it  was  the  house  of 
the  High-Priest,  situated  beside  the  court  of  the  taber- 
nacle, and  called  the  house  of  God  on  that  account. 
Thus  the  apartment  in  which  the  High- Priest  Eli  and  his 
servant  Samuel  slept,  is  called  *'  the  house  of  the  Lord," 
1  Sam.  iii.  15. — Matt.  xii.  5,  "  Or  have  ye  not  read  in 
the  law,  how  that  on  the  sabbath  days  the  priests  in  the 
temple  profane  the  sabbath,  and  are  blameless?"  He 
did  not  mean  that  these  words  are  to  be  found  in  the 
law,  but  that  they  might  read  in  the  law  how  that  the 
priests  were  obliged  on  the  sabbath-days  to  perform 
such  servile  work  in  the  temple,  as  considered  separately 
from  the  end  of  it,  was  a  profanation  of  the  sabbath,  and 
yet  were  guiltless,  because  it  was  necessary  to  the  public 
worship,  on  account  of  which  the  sabbath  was  instituted. 
From  Numb,  xxviii.  9,  it  appears,  that  besides  the  con- 
tinual burnt-offering,  the  priests  were  obliged  on  the  sab- 
baths to  sacrifice  two  lambs  extraordinary,  by  which  their 
servile  work  was  that  day  double  of  what  it  was  on  the 
other  days  of  the  week.  This,  though  really  no  pro- 
fanation of  the  sabbath,  might  according  to  the  common 
notio^n  of  the  Jews  be  so  termed  ;  and  therefore  in  speak- 
ing of  it  our  Lord  calls  it  so. — "  But  I  say  unto  you, 
that  in  this  place  is  one  greater  than  the  temple." 
*'  And  he  said  unto  them,  the  sabbath  was  made  for 
man,  and  not  man  for  the  sabbath,"  Mark  ii.  27.  The 
sabbath  was  contrived  for  the  benefit  and  relief  of  man, 
being  instituted  in  commemoration  of  the  creation  of 
the  world  finished  in  six  days,  and  to  perpetuate  unto 
the  latest  ages  the  knowledge  of  this  grand  truth,  that  the* 
^vorld  was  made  by  God,  in  opposition  both  to  atheism 
and  idolatry,  the  sins  which  mankind  have  ever  been 
apt  to  run  into.  It  was  instituted  also  that  men  abstain- 
inp;  from  AX  sorts  of  labour  but  such  as  are  necessary 
to  the  exercises  of  piety  and  charity  might  have  leisure 
for  meditating  on  the  works  of  creation,  wherein  the 
perfections   of  God  are  fairly  delineated ;  and   that 


of  the  Holy  B'lhle.  271 

these  meditations  they  mi^ht  acquire,  not  only  the  know- 
ledge of  God  '  ut  a  relish  of  spiritual  and  divine  pleasures 
flowing  from  the  contemplation  of  God's  attributes,  from 
the  exercises  •  the  love  of  God,  and  from  obedience  to 
his  commandments.  It  is  thus  that  men  are  prepared  for 
entering  into  the  heavenly  rest,  of  which  the  earthly  sab- 
bath is  an  emblem.  To  conclude,  among  the  Israelites  it 
was  appointed  to  keep  up  the  remembrance  of  their  de- 
liverance from  Egypt,  and  for  the  comfort  of  their  slaves 
and  beasts,  humanity  to  both  being  especially  incumbent 
upon  a  people,  who  had  once  groaned  under  the  heaviest 
bondage.  From  all  which  it  is  evident,  that  to  burden 
men,  much  more  to  hurt  them,  through  the  observation  of 
the  sabbath,  which  has  no  intrinsic  excellency  in  itself,  is 
to  act  quite  contrar}'  to  the  desi<;n  of  God  in  appointing  it. 
*'  Therefore  the  Son  of  man  is  Lord  also  of  the  sabbath," 
Mark  ii.  28.  Since  the  sabbath  was  instituted  for  the 
benefit  of  man,  the  observation  of  it  in  cases  of  necessity 
may  be  dispensed  with  by  any  man  whatsoever,  but  espe- 
cially by  me  who  am  lawgiver  of  the  Jewish  common- 
wealth, and  can  make  what  alterations  in  its  institutions  I 
think  fit.  This  argument,  drawn  from  the  consideration 
of  his  own  dignity,  our  Lord  largely  insisted  on  when  he 
he  was  prosecuted  for  a  pretended  profanation  of  the  sab- 
bath by  the  cure  which  he  performed  at  Bethesda,  John  v. 
ver.   17,  30,  45. 

But  this  was  talking  to  the  deaf  winds  ;  neither  reason 
nor  religion  will  give  them  satisfaction  ;  they  are  so  en- 
raged that  nothing  but  his  destruction  will  satisfy  them. 
Jesus  therefore  knowing  the  wickedness  of  their  hearts, 
withdrew  from  Jerusalem,  and  returned  to  Galilee,  whi- 
ther the  Scribes  and  Pharisees  pursue  him ;  their  keen- 
scented  malice  will  not  allow  him  to  rest,  but  followed 
him  wherever  he  went,  observing  every  action,  espe- 
cially whether  he  would  do  that  which  they  called  the 
profanation  of  their  sabbath,  by  performing  acts  of  mercy 
on  that  day.  Their  malice  was  soon  gratified  with  an  op- 
portunity :  for  entering  into  one  of  the  synagogues  of 
Galilee  upon  the  sabbath,  he  cast  his  eye  upon  a  m^m* 


*  Mm.  St.  Jerome  reports  this  man  to  have  been  jmasQii. 


272  J  Complete  History 

whose  right-hand  was  withered.  Here  was  an  object  of- 
fered to  his  compassion,  which  never  failed  to  exert  it- 
self, especially  on  such  a  deplorable  occasion.  The 
quick-sighted  malice  of  his  enemies  soon  snatched  at  the 
opportunity  ;  and  lest  he  should  not  answer  their  end, 
they  start  the  question  first,  asking  him,  whether  it  was 
lawful  to  heal  on  the  sabbath-day  ?  Jesus  knew  their 
thoughts,  and  had  an  answer  ready  for  them  :  but  first 
confronted  them  with  the  object,  bidding  the  man  with 
the  withered  hand  stand  forth  in  the  midst  of  the  assem- 
bly, that  every  one  might  see  him.  This  object  was  suf- 
ficient to  move  pity  in  any  but  a  Jewish  breast,  and  ra- 
ther put  the  whole  congregation  upon  an  address  and 
petition  of  imploring  help  from  the  heavenly  physician 
upon  this  poor  man,  than  to  make  him  'an  occasion  of 
ensnaring  and  accusing  him.  Jesus  therefore  put  the 
question  to  them,  making  the  case  partly  their  own: 
"  Is  it  lawful,"  says  he,  "  on  the  sabbath-day  to  do 
good,  or  to  do  evil"?  To  save  life,  or  to  destroy  it?'" 
This  was  so  apposite  to  the  present  circumstance,  and  so 
convictive  of  their  malicious  design  upon  him,  that  they 
11  had  nothing  to  say  for  themselves.     But  Jesus  pursued 

liis  argument  with  a  closer  and  more  immediate  applica- 
tion to  themselves.  "  Which  of  you,"  says  he,  "  shall 
have  a  sheep  fallen  into  a  pit  on  the  sabbath-day,  and 
will  not  lift  it  out  ?  How  much  better  then  is  a  man  than 
a  sheep  ?"  From  whence  he  draws  this  plain  conclusion, 
"  Wherefore  is  it  lawful  to  do  good  on  the  sabbath  day  ?" 
And  knowing  the  hardness  of  their  hearts,  he  w^aited  not 
for  an  answer,  but  hastens  to  the  relief  of  the  poor  suffer- 
rer,  commanding  him  to  stretch  forth  his  hand ;  which 
he  did,  and  it  was  restored  whole  as  the  other.  Upon 
this  act,  being  confirmed  in  their  malice,  the  Pharisees 
went  forth,  and  with  the  Herodians,*  conspired  the  death 
of  him  v\  ho  came  to  offer  them  eternal  life. 


•  Herodians.  Tertullian,  Chrysostom,  Jerome,  and  others,  erroneously  affirm, 
that  the  Herodians  were  a  sect  of  people  who  said  Herod  was  the  Messiah,  be- 
cause by  a  decree  of  the  Roman  senate,  when  the  sceptre  departed  from  Judah, 
he  was  declared  king.    But  it  is  very  improbable  that  thirty  years  after  Herod's 


of  the  IIoUj  Bible.  27.1 

As  the  Jews  never  doubted  hut  the  Mcssliih  would  by 
the  sword  bear  down  all  that  opposed  hnii,  it  must  have 
been  very  mortifyius^  to  tlie  disciples,  now  that  they  saw 
their  master  flee  before  such  an  handful  of  enemies.  But 
the  evangelist  observes,  that  this  gentleness  of  disposition 
was  a  necessary  part  of  the  Messiah's  character,  having 
been  predicted  by  Isaiah,  "  But  when  Jesus  knew  it,  he 
withdrew  himself  from  thence  and  great  multitudes  fol- 
lowed him,  and  he  healed  them  all ;  and  charged  them 
that  they  should  not  make  him  knoWn.  That  it  might  be 
fulfilled  which  was  spoken  by  Esaias  the  prophet,"  say- 
ing, (ch.  xlii.  1,)  "  Behold,  my  servant  whom  I  have 
chosen,  my  beloved  in  whom  my  soul  is  well  pleased  :  I 
will  put  my  spirit  upon  him,  and  he  shall  shew  judgment 
to  the  Gentiles.*  He  shall  not  strive,  nor  cry,  neither 
shall  any  man  hear  his  voice  in  the  streets.  "  Though  the 
Messiah  might  easily  bear  down  his  enemies  by  force  of 
arms,  he  shall  not  strive  with  martial  violence,  nor  sound 
the  alarm  of  war  in  the  field  of  battle,  neither  shall  his 
voice  be  heard  in  the  streets,  as  of  an  enraged  general 
sacking  a  conquered  town.  Agreeably  to  this  prophecy, 
though  Jesus,  by  the  assistance  of  the  wondering  crowds 
that  attended  him  wherever  he  went,  in  constant  readiness 
to  support  him,  could  have  crushed  all  his  adversaries  at 
once,  he  never  made  use  either  of  them  or  of  his  miraculous 
power  for  such  purposes,  but  discharged  the  duties  of  his 
mission  with  all  meekness,  gathering  in  his  subjects,  and 
overcoming  his  enemies  not  with  arms,  but  the  force  of 


death,  there  should  be  any  who  believed  that  Herod  was  the  Messiah.  The  He- 
rodians  therefore  here  mentioned,  were  followers  of  Herod,  in  opposition  to 
those  that  acknowledged  and  adhered  to  the  Cesarean  or  Roman  authority,  which 
the  Pharisees  generally  looked  upon  as  an  usurpation.  And  yet  the  Hcrodians 
were  not  a  distinct  sect  from  the  Pharisees  and  Sadducees,  as  appears  by  compa- 
ring,  Mat.  xvi.  16,  with  Mark  viii.  15. 

•  Gentiles.  The  word  n^ij-n  in  this  and  the  following  verse  may  signify  "  holi. 
ness,"  fitly  called  "  judgment,"  because  It  is  the  most  genuine  effect  of  reasoning 
or  judgment.  This  sense  the  word  x§/3-/c  or  judgment  has  evidently,  Ps.  xxxvii. 
6,  "  He  will  bring  forth  thy  righteousness  as  the  light,  and  thy  Judgment  (holiness) 
as  the  noon-day . " 

Vol.  II,  Mm 


274  ^  Complete  History 

truth.  And  when  his  enemies  uttacked  him,  instead  of 
making  resistance  he  silently  withdrew,  being  utterly 
averse  to  popular  commotions.  This  latter  branch  of  the 
prophecy  relates  evidently  to  after  ages.  ''  And  in  his 
name  shall  the  Gentiles  trust."  The  original,  prophecy 
runs  tlius  :  "  And  the  isles  shall  hope  in  his  law."  But 
the  meaning  ofboth  passages  is  the  same.  For  the  evan- 
gelist uses  the  name  of  God  here  with  that  latitude  of  sig- 
nification which  it  has  in  the  Hebrew  language,  where  it 
denotes  the  Deity  himself,  his  perfections,  his  worship, 
his  laws,  and  in  one  word  every  thing  relating  to  religion. 
Thus,  the  Lord  says  of  Saul  newly  converted,  "  He  is  a 
chosen  vessel  unto  me,  to  bear  my  name  before  the  Gen- 
tiles," Acts  ix.  15.  Farther,  in  the  language  of  the  Old 
Testament,  the  Isles  commonly  denote  the  idolatrous  na- 
tions  to  the  west  of  Judea,  inhabiting  the  islands  of  Greece 
and  Italy.  The  prophet's  meaning  therefore  is,  that  the 
heathen  nations,  charmed  Vvith  the  humanity  and  gentle- 
ness of  the  Messiah's  disposition,  the  equity  of  his  go- 
vernment, and  the  beauty  and  rectitude  of  his  laws,  shall 
trust  in  him,  or  obtain  for  themselves  protection  and  safe- 
ty by  becoming  his  subjects. 

But  hitherto  their  malice  could  not  reach  him,  he  had 
not  yet  finished  the  work  his  Father  sent  him  to  do  :  he, 
therefore,  knowing  their  impious  designs  on  his  life,  de- 
parted from  thence  again,  and  went  toward  the  sea-coast, 
the  number  of  people  increasing  wherever  he  went,  as 
his  fame  did ;  for  he  was  now  followed  by  new  multitudes 
from  Galilee,  from  Judea,  from  Jerusalem,  from  Idumea, 
from  beyond  Jordan,  from  about  Tyre  and  Sidon ;  who, 
in  all  quarters,  hearing  the  report  of  his  miraculous  power 
to  cure  all  diseases  by  the  word  of  his  mouth,  the  touch 
of  his  hand,  or  merely  of  his  garment,  came  with  their 
sick  and  possessed  for  help,  who  pressed  hard  on  him  but 
to  touch  him,  and  they  were  all  immediately  cured  of  their 
distempers.  Nay,  his  fame  so  increased,  that  the  very 
devils  and  unclean  spirits  publicly  confessed  that  he  was 
the  Son  of  God,  till  they  were  upon  all  occasions  restrain- 
ed, and  compelled  to  silence. 

The  multitude  thronging  from  all  parts,  and  daily  in- 
creasing, he  commanded  a  ship  to  be  in  readiness  against 
any  inconvenience  or  troublesome  pressures  of  the  pec- 


ofihc  Holy  Bibic.  275 

])lc  :  after  which  he  went  up  into  a  mountciin  to  pray, 
and  continued  in  prayer  all  night,  intending  to  make 
the  firbt  ordination  of  apostles ;  whicli  the  next  day  he 
did,  choosing-  out  of  the  number  of  his  disciples  these 
twelve  to  be  apostles,*  Simon  Peter  and  Andrew,  James 
and  John,  Philip  and  Bartholomew,  Mattliew  and  Tho- 
mas, James  the  son  of  Alphens,  and  Simon  the  zealot, 
Judas  the  brother  of  James,  and  Judas  Iscariot.  Having  thus 
chosen,  he  instructed  them  in  the  mjsterious  parts  of  his 
holy  doctrine  ;  and  seeing  a  great  multitude  of  people 
who  were  his  constant  followers,  he  went  up  into  a 
mountain,  where  in  a  more  eminent  manner  he  entered 
upon  his  prophetic  office,  and  addressed  himsell'  in  general 
to  the  apostles  and  the  multitude;  pronouncing  the  blessing 
of  the  kingdom  of  heaven  on  the  humble  and  lowly  ;  com- 
fort to  those  that  mourn  for  their  sins  ;  protection  and  se- 
curity of  life  to  those  that  live  quietly  and  meekly ; 
complete  and  perfect  satiety  to  those  appetites  that  spi- 
ritually hunger  and  thirst  after  righteousness;  compas- 
sion and  mercy  to  those  that  are  tenderly  and  pitifully 
affected  towaids  the  miseries  and  w'ants  of  the  distressed  ; 
the  beatifick  vision,  (or  sight  of  God)  to  those  that  have 
not  defiled  tiieir  souls  with  fleshly  lusts  and  worldly  impu- 
rities ;  the  portion  and  blessing  of  the  children  of  God 
to  those  that  love  and  labour  for  peace  ;  the  martyr's  glori- 
ous crown  to  those  that  sufi'er  for  the  discharge  of  a  good 
conscience,  and  everlasting  praises  to  those  that  patiently 
bear  the  calumnies  and  reproaches  of  the  wicked  for  Christ's 
sake. 

Afterwards  giving  particular  instructions  to  his  apostles 

*  Apostles.  The  word  Apostle  in  general  signifies  Messenger,  or  sent ;  in  which 
sense  the  Jews  are  said  to  have  apostles,  whom  they  deputed  to  act  as  their  proxies 
or  deputies  :  whence  the  Jewish  proverb,  "  Every  man's  apostle  is  as  himself;'* 
that  is,  is  his  vicar  or  proxy,  and  what  he  doth  as  valid  as  if  the  person  had  done 
it  himself.  And  in  this  sense  the  twelve  after  Christ's  departure  had  others,  whom 
they  sent  to  act  for  them  in  their  charge,  and  whom  they  called  their  apostles. 

In  an  evangelical  sense  the  word  Apostle  signifies  primarily  that  office  whereunto 
the  twelve  were  set  apart  by  Christ  immediately ;  as  also  that  of  St.  Paul  and 
Barnabas,  sent  by  the  special  appointment  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  Acts  xiii.  2;  secon- 
darily, it  belonged  to  some  others  after,  Uiat  received  the  like  commission  from  the 
twelve,  or  St.  Paul 


276  A  Complete  Bistort/ 

and  disciples,  together  with  their  commissions,  being  now 
about  to  send  them  abroad,  he  says,  "  You  my  disciples, 
iind  all  real  christians,  are  the  salt  of  the  earth;  ye  are 
those  that  by  your  doctrine,  exemplary  piety,  and  charity, 
are  to  keep  the  world  from  putrifying  :  but  if  your  lives 
grow  unsavoury  by  corrupt  living,  ye  will  be  the  most  un- 
profitable, and  contemptible  creatures  in  the  world  ;  will 
be  the  refuse  of  the  earth,  and  dealt  with  accordingly.  Ye 
are  the  light  of  the  world,  like  a  city  set  on  a  hill,  which  is 
been  by  all  that  travel  near  it,  and  by  them  inquired  after 
what  it  is ;  so  the  church  of  Christ  which  is  a  most  con- 
spicuous society,  cannot  fail  being  taken  notice  of  by  the 
rest  of  the  world,  and  either  attract  them  by  their  good,  or 
discourage  them  by  their  bad  examples.  It  is  my  design 
in  you  to  set  up  a  torch  or  luminary,  that  by  the  doctrine 
which  ye  shall  preach,  and  the  exemplary  lives  ye  are  to 
lead,  shall  direct  all  others  in  the  actions  of  their  lives. 
Let  your  light  therefore  so  shine  before  men,  that  you  may 
recommend  to  all  others  the  practice  of  your  honest,  hon- 
ourable and  pious  actions.  1  come  not  to  take  any  thing 
away  from  the  moral  duties  prescribed  in  the  law,  or  by 
the  prophets,  but  to  repair  and  make  up  whatsoever  is  wan- 
ling  ;  to  restore  what  hath  been  taken  from  it  by  false  inter- 
pretations. Whosoever  by  his  practice  or  doctrine  went 
about  to  diminish  the  obligation  of  one  of  the  least  com- 
mands of  the  law,  he  shall  be  thought  unworthy  of  hav- 
ing his  riame  registered  in  the  catalogue  of  Christians 
here,  or  saints  hereafter.  But  whosoever  shall  practise 
nnd  teach  others  the  duties  of  it,  shall  be  advanced  to 
the  dignity  of  judging  others,  and  to  the  glory  attending 
it  in  heaveii.  Except  your  righteousness  shall  exceed 
that  of  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees,  ye  shall  not  enter  the 
kingdom  of  heaven.  Moses  delivered  to  the  Jews,  that 
they  should  commit  no  rnurder,  and  that  he  who  did 
should  be  obnoxious  to  capital  punishment :  but  I  say, 
the  lav/  is  short  in  this,  for  whoever  is  angry  with  his 
'nrother  without  a  cause,*  or  calls  him  racha,  or  fool,  shall 


*  Without  a  cause.  The  prophets  and  apostles,  and  Jesus  Christ  himself,  in 
citing  the  writings  of  Moses,  do  seldom  or  never  express  his  very  words,  think- 
Irg  it  suificieut  to  give  the  true  sense  or  meaning  of  them.     TIiiis  Moses  com- 


of  the  Holy  Bible.  277 

be  in  clanger  of  judgment,  or  ol"  the  council,  or  of  hell- 
lire.  Presume  not  therefore  to  approach  the  altiir  nith 
thy  peace-oft'ering,  unreconciled  to  thy  brother.  Be  not 
litigious,  lest  thy  adversar}'  accuse  thee  before  the  judge, 
and  thou  be  cast  into  prison.  The  law  forbids  adultery, 
but  1  say,  he  that  looks  lustfully  on  a  woman,  that  gazes 
inteniperately  on  a  beautiful  face,  hath  for  his  pat"t  made 
himself  euiltv  of  adultery.  Thou  hadst  better  be  without 
thy  hand  or  thy  eye  (though  never  so  useful  instruments 
of  nature)  than  to  be  ensnared  by  them.  Thou  shalt  not 
put  sl^vay  thy  wife  but  for  fornication,  otherwise  thou 
makest  her  commit  adultery.  All  voluntary  swearing, 
though  by  the  meanest  thing  or  creature,  is  interdicted 
thee  :  and  in  thy  common  conversation  thou  shalt  use  no 
more  than  a   bare   aftirmative   or  negative,    yea,   or  no.* 


mands,  "  to  serve  the  Lord,"  but  our  Saviour  makes  no  scruple  to  add  the  word 
"  only,"  which  is  likewise  to  be  extended  to  the  precept  of  worshipping  him,  as 
the  devil  himself  did  acknowledge.  Nay,  it  is  sometimes  absolutely  necessary,  for 
making  up  a  complete  sense,  to  supply  some  words  which  have  gone  before,  or 
follow  after.  As  when  our  Saviour  in  this  place  says,  ."  Be  not  angry  with  thy 
brother  without  a  cause,"  and  afterwards  in  the  same  verse  forbids  to  call  him,. 
«'  cursed  wretch,  orracha,"  that  is,  to  give  him  ill  or  reproachful  names,  it  is 
plain  that  we  are  to  add  "  without  a  cause."  For  our  Saviour  himself,  v.-hose 
life  was  a  comment  upon  his  doctrine,  was  often  angry,  and  treated  the  Pharisees 
and  Sadducees  more  than  once  with  the  worst  of  names,  calling  them  blind,  fool.5, 
whited  sepulchres,  hypocrites,  and  children  of  the  devil ;  which  he  cannot  be 
supposed  to  do  without  a  cause. 

*  No.  The  particular  forms  of  swearing  here-mentioned,  were  usual  amon?; 
tlie  Jews  in  their  ordinary  conversation,  but  they  did  not  look  upon  them  as  bind- 
ing: (See  Whitby  in  Loc.)  Hence  they  allowed  their  use,  pretending  there  was 
no  evil  in  them,  because  the  law  which  forbade  them  to  forswear  themselves,  and 
enjoined  them  to  perform  their  oaths,  meant  such  solemn  oaths  only,  as  were  of 
an  obligatory  nature.  It  is  this  detestable  morality  which  Jesus  condemns,  ver. 
34,  "  But  I  say  unto  you.  Swear  not  at  all."  Never  use  any  oath  on  the  suppc- 
sition  that  it  does  not  bind  you,  for  all  oaths  whatever,  those  by  the  lowest  of  the 
creatures  not  excepted,  are  obligatory.  If  these  oaths  have  any  meaning  at  all » 
they  are  an  appeal  to  the  great  Creator,  and  imply  a  solemn  invocation  of  his  wrath : 
whoever,  therefore,  breaks  his  oath,  is  guilty  of  perjury. 

But  our  Lord's  design  appears  to  be,  not  to  forbid  the  use  of  an  oath,  in  a 
grave  and  solemn  manner  before  a  magistrate,  for  the  Scripture  allows  this  to  be 
the  best  method  of  ending  controversies,  Heb.  vi.  16,  and  a  high  act  of  religious 
worship,  Deut.  vi.  13,  Isa.  1.mv.  16,  "  But  let  your  communication  be  Yea,  yea, 


278  A  Complete  History 

Oppose  not  violence  to  the  injurious  man,  but  whoever 
shall  use  thee  contumeliously,  bear*  it  patiently :  pa- 
tience for  the  present,  and  dependance  on  God's  provi- 
dence for  the  future,  best  become  a  christian.  If  any 
one  by  suit  at  law  shall  endeavour  to  rob  thee  of  thy 
meaner  or  inner  garment,  do  thou  rather  than  oppose 
violence  to  his  injustice,  suffer  the  loss  of  thy  upper 
better  garment:  and  whoever  shall  make  thee  gof  and 
carry  his  burden  a  little  way,  do  thou  again,  rather  than 
permit  thy  passion  to  ojDpose  violence  to  this  injurv,  or 
light  invasion  of  thy  liberty,  suffer  as  much  more.  Do 
not  proudly  or  disdainfully  turn  away  from  him  that  asks 
a  favour  of  thee.  Moses's  precept  indeed  concerning 
the  kind  dealing  of  the  Jews  with  other  men,  extended 
not  universally  to  all,  but  peculiarly  to  their  own  coun- 
trymen and  fellow  Jews  (called  the  sons  of  thy  people) 
but  to  aliens:!:  and  enemies  they  were  not  bound  to  be 
kind  ;  but  I  say  unto  you,  love  your  enemies,  return 
blessings  and  prayers  for  curses  and  reproaches ;  for  if 
}'ou  have  ordinary  charity  for  them  that  have  the  same  to 
you,  what  reward  can  ye  expect  from  God  for  so  doing? 
The  worst  sort  cf  men  in  the  world  will  do  so ;  and  ye 
do  not  distinguish  yourselves  from  the  common  people. 
Therefore  I  require  of  you  that  will  be  my  disciples,  that 
you  exercise  your  charity,  whether  of  the  lowest  or 
highest  sort,  and  extend  it  as  far  as  the  mercy  of  God  is 
extended,  to  enemies  as  well  as   friends,  that  in  so  do- 


Nay,  nay:"  that  is,  in  your  common  conversation  with  each  other,  maintain  such 
a  regard  to  truth,  as  to  make  any  invocation  of  the  name  of  God  needless ;  "  for 
Tvhatsoever  is  more  than  these  cometh  of  evil,"  or,  "  cometh  from  the  evil  one.' 

See  Dr.  Machxighi's  Harmony. 

*  Bcax.  To  turn  the  cheek  is  a  proverbial  saying,  and  signifies  bearing  a  wrong 
or  injury  patiently. 

•f-  Co.  What  we  render  "  go  a  mile,"  is  a  Persian  word  and  custom,  which 
signifies  '<  to  take  up  men,"  as  we  take  up  horses  tocairy  our  burdens  fromstsge 
to  stage  ;  which  when  one  hath  performed,  another  is  taken  up  in  his  stead  for 
the  next  stage. 

\  Aliens.  The  Jews  were  obliged  by  the  law  of  Moses  to  be  kind  and  friendly 
to  foreigners,  though  they  were  commanded  to  treat  the  Seven  Nations  in  an  ho.s- 
tile  manner. 


of  the  Holy  IVihlc.  279 

iiig  you  may  be  perfect,*  as  your  Father  in  heaven  is 
perfect. 

Be  not  charitable  for  the  sake  of  a])plause,  for  there- 
by you  will  lose  the  reward  ^\  hich  God  in  heaven  hath 
laid  up  for  the  almsgiver.  But  when  thou  dost  any  act 
of  mercy,  do  it  not  vain-gloriously  but  privately,  and 
thou  w  ilt  certainly  enjoy  the  reward  of  thy  secret  piety, 
M'hich  God  will  openly  bestow  on  thee  in  the  sight  of 
men  and  auQ-els. 

When  thou  addressest  th}'self  to  God  in  prayer,  affect 
not  popular  hypocrisy,  in  exposing  thyself  to  the  view 
of  the  multitude,  that  thou  mayest  be  admired  of  diem  ; 
but  retire  from  worldly  company  into  thy  closet,  and 
w'ith  tliy  door  shut  to  thee,  pray  thus  in  secret  to  thy 
heavenly  Father  who,  though  he  be  invisible,  yet  seelh 
thee,  and  will  publickly  reward  thy  private  devotion,  f 
Avoid  vain  repetitions,  and  lengthen  not  thy  prayers 
with  idle  tautologies,  after  the  manner  of  the  heathen, 
who  think  they  shall  have  their  prayers  granted  for  the 
multipircity  of  words  used  by  them  in  their  devotions. 
Be  not  therefore  like  them,  for  vour  Father  hath  no  need 
of  information  concerning  your  wants,  and  is  not  likely 
to  be  wrought  on  by  the  length  of  your  prayers.  I  will 
therefore  set  you  a  pattern,  after  which  you  shall  form 
}Our  prayers.      When  ye  pray,  say,  Our  Father  j  which 


*  Perfect.  To  imitate  or  equal  God  in  all  things  Is  iaiposslble,  and  in  some 
things  presumptuous ;  but  in  acts  of  mercy,  charity,  and  the  like,  we  are  express- 
ly commanded  to  imitate  him,  as  far  as  human  nature  will  permit. 

■j-  Devotion.  Our  Lord  certainly  did  not  mean  to  discountenance  public  wor- 
ship, for  he  frequently  sanctioned  it  by  his  own  example  ;  but  he  cautions  his  dis- 
ciples against  the  practice  of  the  hypocrites,  who,  at  the  hours  of  piiblic  prayer, 
took  care  to  shew  themselves  in  the  market,  or  some  other  place  of  general  con- 
course, that  others  might  witness  their  devotions  ;  this  was  a  vanity  extremely  of- 
fensive to  God. 

I  Our  Father.  This  prayer  is  distinct  from  that  in  St.  Luke  xi.  2,  for  this  in 
St.  Mat.  vi.  9,  is  part  of  Christ's  admirable  Sermon  on  the  Mount ;  but  that  in  St. 
I.uke  upon  a  special  motion  of  the  disciples,  at  a  time  when  he  had  done  praying  ; 
who  seeing  him  often  retire  to  pray,  desired  him  to  give  them  a  Form  of  Prayer, 
which  they  might  constantly  use,  as  John  Baptist  had  given  to  his  disciples.    This 


280  A  Complete  His  for?/ 

art  in  heaven ;  hallowed  be  thy  name.  Thy  knigdom 
come.  Thy  will  be  done  in  earth,  as  it  is  in  heaven. 
Give  us  this  day  our  daily  bread.  And  forgive  us  our 
debts,  as  we  forgive  our  debtors.  And  lead  us  not  into 
temptation,  but  deliver  us  from  evil ;  for  thine  is  the  king- 
dom, the  power,  and  the  glory,  for  ever.     Amen. 

Imitate  not  the  hypocrites  in  fasting,*  who  put  on 
mournful  looks,  and  appear  in  foul  garments,  that  they 
may  be  thought  to  be  in  earnest ;  but  behave  thyself  as 
upon  another  day,  that  thou  appear  not  unto  men  to  fast, 
but  unto  God. 

Lay  not  up  any  worldly  treasure,  which  is  liable  either 
to  rust,  vermin,  or  thieves ;  but  lay  up  treasure  in  hea- 
ven, where  it  will  be  for  ever  safe.  Where  covetousness 
hath  taken  possession,  there  is  nothing  but  darkness  ;  for 
liberality  and  charity  are  extinguished  by  it ;  and  that 
which  tends  to  the  inordinate  increase  of  riches,  cannot  be 
reconcileable  with  the  ser\  ice  of  God. 

Be  not  anxious  or  solicitous  for  the  future ;  it  is  doubt- 
ing of  the  providence  of  God,  who  will  not  fail  to  supply 
our  necessities,  if  we  trust  in  him.  The  fowls  of  the  air 
are  a  great  instance  of  his  care,  who  provide  nothing,  and 
yet  enjoy  every  thing. 

Be  not  hasty  in  judging  others,  lest  thou  fall  under 
their  more  severe  censure.  Why  shouldst  thou  reflect 
so  sharply  on  the  faults  of  others,  \vho  art  more  liable  to 
their  censure  for  thine  own  follies  ?  Be  cautious  in  re- 
proving the  incorrigible,  who  will  be  apt  to  reproach 
thee  for  thy  charitable  love,  as  swine  f  undervalue  pre- 
cious jewels,  and  dogs  bite  those  that  feed  them.  Apply 
yourselves  to  God  in  prayer  for  what  you  want,  wJiich 
will  be  a  sure  way  of  obtaining  it.  Enter  in  at  the  strait 
gate  ;  let  all  your  care  be  to  set  yourselves  upon  the  Chris- 
tian course,  be  it  ever  so  strict  (for  it  is  easy  to  enter  on  a 


prayer  in  St.  Matthew  was  in  the  second  year  after  Christ's  baptism  ;  that  in  St 
Luke  in  the  third. 

•  Fasting.    The  Jews  anointed  and  washed  themselves  every  day,  except  ;r; 
time  of  mourning. 

f  Swins.     Matt.  vii.  6. 


1 


of  the  Holy  Bihlc.  281 

vicious  course,  and  t^o  through  with  it,  and  there  arc 
multitudes  that  pass  that  way  to  eternal  destruction.)  But 
the  gate  that  leadeth  to  life  being  strait,  there  will  be  need 
of  all  your  care,  because  the  entrance  and  whole  course  of 
a  Christian's  life  is  made  up  of  perfect  strictness,  in  oppo- 
sition to  the  looseness  of  the  world  j  and  that  makes  so  few 
to  choose  iti  . 

Beware  of  false  prophets  and  teachers,  who  pretend  the 
greatest  innocence  and  meekness,  but  design  the  contrary. 
Ye  will  discover  them  by  their  practices  :  for  when  they 
have  gained  some  esteem  with  you,  they  will  endeavour 
to  corrupt  you  ;  for  it  is  not  everyone  whoacknowledgeth 
me  as  his  Lord  and  master,  that  shall  enter  into  the  king- 
dom of  heaven.  At  the  day  of  judgment  many  will  say  to 
me,  Lord,  we  are  the  men  whom  thou  by  thy  power  hast 
enabled  to  cast  out  devils,  and  to  do  all  kinds  of  miracles. 
But  I  shall  tell  such,  I  never  knew  them. 

Whosoever  believeth  and  entertaineth  all  these  things, 
and  practiseth  them,  is  like  a  prudent  builder,  who  laid 
tlie  foundation  of  his  house  upon  a  rock,  which  wind  and 
weather  could  no  way  affect  with  injury  or  damage.  But 
lie  that  heareth  these  things,  and  practiseth  them  not,  shall 
by  all  men  be  reputed  to  be  like  the  man  who  built  his 
house  upon  the  sand,  which  was  soon  blown  down  by  the 
stormy  winds,  and  washed  away  by  the  floods." 

Our  blessed  Lord  having  finished  his  sermon*  on  the 
iSIount,  the  people  were  astonished  at  him,  for  he  de- 


*  Sermon.  The  contents  of  this  discourse  desen'e  our  most  serious  regard.  Our 
Lord  begins  it,  like  the  great  High-Priest,  blessing  his  people  :  but  he  strikes  at 
theroot  of  that  error  which  generally  prevailed  among  the  Jews  concerning  the  ex- 
pected kingdom  of  the  Messiah,  describing  its  blessings  as  all  of  a  spiritual  nature, 
and  the  subjects  of  it  as  possessing  those  holy  dispositions  to  which  the  several 
blessing  mentioned  are  annexed. 

In  the  next  place  he  declares,  that  he  did  not  come  to  destroy  the  law  or  the  pro- 
phets, but  to  fulfil  them,  not  to  contradict  the  revelation  already  made,  but  to  un- 
fold the  grand  scheme  and  perfect  the  whole.  Accordingly  he  answered  the  types 
of  the  ceremonial  law.  He  explained  and  enforced  the  moral  law  ;  he  completed 
the  design  of  all  former  dispensations,  and  supplied  theirdefccts.     Our  Lord  also 

Vol.  it.  N  n 


28'2  ^4  Complete  History 

livered  his  doctrine  with  extraordinary  authority  and  pow- 
er, (prophetic  at  least,  which  since  the  prophet  Malachi'^s 
time  had  been  interrupted)  and  not  with  that  indifference 
which  was  practised  by  the  doctors  of  the  law  among  the 
Jews. 

Nor  did  the  multitudes  resort  to  him  only  for  the  sake 
i)f  his  doctrine,  but  also  of  the  miraculous  cures,  whicli 
he  daily  wrought  among  them  ;  which  had  so  spread  and 
increased  his  fame,  that  all  that  were  afflicted  with  any 
disease  or  malady,  if  they  could  but  approach  him, 
doubted  not  of  a  cure.  Among  the  admiring  crowds 
which  coniinually  flocked  about  him,  a  poor  leprous 
WTetch  all  over  crusted  with  ulcers,  threw  himself  at  the 
feet  of  the  divine  physician^  imploring  his  help,^  and  with 
a  faitliful  assurance  depending  on  his  ability  to  restore 
bim  to  his  health,  if  he  would  be  pleased  to  make  use  of 
his  power.  Our  Saviour  looking  on  the  poor  leper  with 
pity,  confirms  his  faith  by  an  instant  cure  ;  at  the  same 
time  commanding  him  to  make  an  acknowledgment  of 
the  great  blessing  he  had  received,  by  addressing  himself 
to  the  priest,  as  the  law  prescribed^  and  to  present  the 
offering  required  of  all  such  as  are  thus  cleansed  of  le- 
prosy. Tiiis  our  Saviour  said  to  him  with  designi,  that  it 
might  by  this  means  l>e  a  testimony  to  assure  them  that 
he  was  the  true  Messiali,  and  that  he  did  not  oppose  the 
law  given  by  Moses,  but  came  to  fulfil  it.  The  joyful 
leper,  with  cheerful  obedience  retires,  and  our  blessed 
Lord  enters  Capernaum,  w^hich  he  makes  a  fresh  scene  of 
his  miraculous  performances  :  for  he  is  no  sooner  disco- 
vered to  be  in  any  place,  but  immediate  application  is 
made  to  him  for  his  divine  assistance  and  the  farther  de- 
monstration of  his  power. 


guards  his  disciples  against  vain  glory  and  love  of  the  world,  and  concludes  with  g. 
variety  of  pi-actical  directions  and  exhortations.  Such  was  the  import  of  this  most 
instructive  and  awakening  discourse.  We,  as  well  as  those  who  heard  it,  may  just- 
ly be  astonished  at  his  doctrine  ;  but  it  is  incumbent  upon  us,  not  only  to  admire  it, 
but  to  apply  it  to  ourselves,  lemerabering  that  every  precept  is  obligatory  on.  all 
who  call  themselves  Christ's  disciples. 


of  the  Holy  Bible,  28r> 

In  Ca]-)ernaiim,  the  Holy  Jesus  received  the  address  of 
a  laitlilul  Centurion,*  or  captain,  in  btliall'of  his  I'avouritc 
servant,  who  was  grievously  afflicted  \\\\\\  the  palsy.  Our 
blessed  Lord,  always  as  ready  to  afford  relief,  as  the  sick 
were  to  receive  it,  proposeth  to  the  centurion  the  honour 
of  his  immediate  presence  to  visit  and  heal  his  servant ; 
which  the  faithful  commander,  with  much  humility,  de- 
clines ;  for,  being  unwilling  to  give  him  the  trouble  of 
coming  in  person,  he  desires  only  his  sacred  fiat,  the  word 
of  command,  firmly  believing  that  the  cure  would  be  per- 
formed. For  through  the  strength  of  his  faith  he  was 
fully  assured  of  the  excellency  and  divinity  of  his  Saviour  ; 
and  therefore,  though  himself  vias  a  man  of  authority,  he 
thought  it  too  great  an  honour  for  his  earthly  habitation 
to  be  visited  by  the  great  Saviour  of  the  world.  Jesus, f 
^viih  pleasure  andadmiration  observingthe  believingcaptain, 
turns  to  his  disciples,  to  whom  he  v\ith  much  earnestness  of 
asseveration  expresses  himself,  assuring  them,  that  he  had 
not  found  any  Jew  so  fully  persuaded  of  his  power,  as  this 
Gentile  centurion.  But  this  which  is  now  so  very  admi- 
rable, will  within  a  short  time  be  frequently  exemplified  ; 
for  multitudes  shall  come  from  all  parts  of  the  world,  and 
believe  in  Christ,  and  shall  sit  down  with  Abraham,  and 
the  rest  of  the  Patriarchs  of  the  Jewish  nation  ;|  but  the 
Jews  themselves,  to  whom  the  Messiah  was  primarily- 
sent,  will  disbelieve,  and  be  punished  accordingly  ;  they 
will  be  shut  out  of  the  church  here,  and  heaven  l^iereafter. 
Then,  turning  to  the  centurion,  who  with  joy  and  pa- 
tience heard  the  discourse  of  Jesus,  he  pronounces  the 
servant. cured,  and  dismisses  the  master,  to  the  enjoyment 


•  Centurion.  He  was  a  captain  of  the  Iron  Legion,  which  was  usually  quartered 
in  Juclea. 

f  Jesus.     See  Matt.  viii.  10,  11,  12,  &c. 

\  Nation.  "  To  sit  down  (at  table)  with  Abraham,  &c."  denotes,  according 
to  the  phraseology  of  Scripture,  the  joys  of  heaven,  under  the  idea  of  a  sumptuous 
entertainment.  For,  though  the  felicity  of  the  redeemed  will  certainly  be  of  a  spi- 
ritual nature,  yet  it  is  necessary  to  explain  the  nature  of  the  life  to  come,  by  allu- 
sions to  the  affairs  of  the  present  life.  The  Greek  poets  represented  divine  pleasure 
under  the  notion  of  a  feast ;  and  feij^ied  that  Ixion  was  permitted  to  eat  vitb  tbe 
gods. 


284  ^  Complete  History 

of  that  satisfaction  which  his  faith  had  procured.  Tlie  mi- 
raculous cure  was  in  proportion  to  his  faith  ;  for  return- 
ing, he  found  upon  inquiry,  that  his  servant  recovered  at 
the  very  same  time  that  Jesus  had  declared  it.  Thus  the 
servant  received  the  blessing  of  health,  as  the  reward  and 
honour  of  his  master's  faith. 

From  Capernaum  Jesus  passing  through  Galilee  at- 
tended with  a  great  multitude  of  people,  and  as  he  came 
near  the  gates  of  Nain,  was  met  by  a  crowd,  mournfully 
attending  the  corpse  of  an  only  son  of  a  widow,  by  which 
loss  the  mother  was  deprived  of  all  her  worldly  comfort. 
Here  was  a  proper  object  for  divinity  to  exercise  itself  up- 
on, and  to  which  our  blessed  Saviour's  compassion  readily 
prompted  him.  To  comfort  the  weeping  parent,  he  ap- 
proached the  bier,  bidding  the  widow  forbear  weeping, 
and  commanding  the  bearers  to  stop ;  when,  with  his  pow- 
erful word  and  touch,  he  raised  the  young  man  to  life ; 
who  sitting  up  on  the  bier  spake  to  the  company,  to  con- 
vince them  that  he  was  indeed  alive.  To  restore  decayed 
health,  and  dispossess  devils  and  impure  spirits,  were  acts 
of  wonder  to  all  who  beheld  them  ;  but  to  recover  defunct 
nature,  and  to  recall  it  from  the  hands  of  death,  was  so 
stupendous  a  prodigy,  as  struck  the  beholders  not  only 
with  amazement,  but  fear  ;  for  they  glorified  God  for  vi- 
siting his  people,  by  sending  a  great  prophet  among  them ; 
justly  concluding  from  the  grandeur  of  the  action,  that 
nothing  but  an  Almighty  power  could  effect  such  wonders. 

Upon  the  fame  of  this  and  other  miracles,  which  soon 
spread  through  all  Judea,  John  the  baptist,  who  was  still 
in  prison,  sent  two  of  his  disciples  to  him,  to  give  the 
greater  publicity  to  his  mission  by  inquiring  if  he  were 
indeed  the  Messiah,  or  whether  they  were  to  expect  ano- 
ther? At  the  very  time  of  their  asking  this  question,  for 
their  clearer  conviction  and  proof  of  his  being  so,  Jesus* 
performed  many  miracles  in  their  presence,  curing  se- 
veral persons  of  their  infirmities  and  plagues,  and  of  evil 
spirits,  and  unto  many  who  were  blind  he  gave  sight.  To 
tb.ese  messengers  therefore  of  John  he  returned  answer,  by 


ytsui.   See  Luke  vii.  21,  22,  8ic. 


ufthe  Holy  Bible.  285 

a  demonstration  of  the  nature  of  the  thinf^,  and  the  glory 
of  the  miracles,  saying,  "  Return  to  John  and  tell  him 
A\  hat  you  see  ;  for  the  deaf  hear,  the  blind  see,  the  lame 
walk,  the  dead  are  raised,  the  lepers  are  cleansed,  and  to 
the  poor  the  gospel  is  preached."  All  which  were  the 
grand  characteristic  notes  of  the  Messiah,  according  to  the 
predictions  of  the  holy  prophets.* 

Our  blessed  Saviour  having  dismissed  John's  disciples 
with  this  answer,  began  to  speak  concerning  John,  be- 
stowing encomiums  on  the  austerity  and  holiness  of  his 
person,  the  greatness  of  his  function,  and  the  divinity  of 
his  commission  :  saying  that  he  was  greater  than  a  prophet, 
a  burning  and  shining  light — the  Elias  who  was  to  come, 
and  the  consummation  and  ending  of  the  old  prophets : 
adding  withal,  that  the  pervcrseness  of  that  age  was  most 
notorious  in  the  treatment  of  himself  and  the  baptist :  for 
neither  could  the  baptist,  who  came  neither  eating  nor 
drinking  (that  by  his  austerity  and  mortified  deportment 
he  might  invite  the  judgment  and  affections  of  the  people) 
nor  Jesus,  who  came  both  eating  and  drinking  (that  by  a 
moderate  and  affable  life,  franjed  to  the  common  use  and 
compliance  of  men,  he  might  sweetly  insinuate  himself  in- 
to the  affections  of  the  multitude)  obtain  belief  amongst 
them.  The  obstinate  Jews  objected  against  every  thing, 
and  nothing  could  please  them  :  but  wisdom  and  righteous^ 
ness  had  its  friends  in  its  own  family,  and  is  justified  of  all 
her  children. 

Then  he  proceeded  to  a  more  direct  reprehension  of 
Chorazin,  Bethsaida,  and  Capernaum  ;  declaring  to  the- 
two  first,  that  if  the  mighty  works  which  were  done  in 
them  by  him,  had  been  done  in  Tyre  and  Sidon,  (two 
heathen  cities)  they  would  long  ago  have  repented  ;  and 
therefore  that  the  judgment  or  punishment  which  befals 
mere  heathen  cities,  shall  be  lighter  than  what  they  could 


*  Prophets.  See  Isa,  xxxv.  5,  6.  «<  Then  shall  the  eyes  of  the  blind  be  open- 
ed," &c. 

It  was  also  predicted  that  he  should  instruct  the  poor  ;  and  it  is  plain  that  our 
I^ord  did  not  court  the  favour  of  the  rich,  like  the  heathen  philosophers  and  Jew- 
ish doctors,  but  shewed  %  marked  attention  to  the  despised  poor. 


28&  A  Complete  History 

fexpcct.  And  thou  Capernaum,  said  he,  the  place  of  my 
abode,  which  hast  been  so  honoured  and  favoured  by  me, 
beyond  all  other  places,  and  hast  received  such  spiritual 
advantages,  shalt  be  brought  to  destruction  suddenly, 
humbled  as  low  as  thou  wcrt  highly  advanced  ;  for  if  the 
miracles  done  in  thee  with  design  to  reform  thee,  had  been 
done  in  Lot's  time,  for  the  reforming  Sodom  and  Gomor- 
rah, they  would  have  prevented  their  destruction  by  a 
speedy  repentance. 

Having  thus  severely  reprehended  the  three  cities  for 
their  pertinacious  continuance  in  their  sins  and  infidelity, 
in  defiance  and  reproof  of  all  the  mighty  works  which  had 
been  wrought  in  them,  he  takes  occasion  at  the  same  time 
(probably  from  that  of  his  being  received  by  the  meaner, 
and  refused  by  the  higher  sort)  to  break  out  into  an  af- 
fectionate expression  of  thanks  to  God,  that  those  myster- 
ies of  the  gospel,  which  the  wise  men  of  the  world  despised 
(and  were  thereupon  given  up  by  God  to  their  own  wilful 
blindness)  were  yet  by  him  revealed  to  the  most  ignorant 
and  mean ;  by  this  denoting,  that  God  had  so  disposed 
the  way  to  heaven,  that  the  most  ignorant  and  humble, 
not  the  proud  and  elated,  were  most  ready  to  receive  and 
embrace  it.  This,  said  the  blessed  Jesus,  is  an  act  of  thy 
free  and  undeserved  mercy  to  some,  O  Lord,  and  of  thy 
just  deserving  to  others  ;  and  then  he  concluded  this  ser- 
mon with  an  invitation  to  all  people  wearied  and  disconso- 
late, loaden  with  sin  and  misery,  to  come  to  him,  promis- 
ing ease  to  their  burdens  and  rcfi'eshment  to  their  weari- 
ness, and  to  exchange  their  heavy  pressures,  "  for  my  yoke 
is  easy  and  my  burden  is  light. " 

The  holy  Jesus  having  concluded  this  sermon,  a  certain 
wealthy  Pharisee,  named  Simon,  invited  him  to  dine  with 
him  :  into  whose  house  having  entered,  a  woman*-  that 
had  lived  a  sinful  and  scandalous  course  of  life,  abiding 
there  in  the  city,  heard  of  it.     She  came  to  Jesus  in  the 


*  Woman.  There  is  good  reason  to  believe  that  the  woman  here  spoken  of, 
was  not  Mary  Magdalen,  who  was  a  person  of  eminent  station  and  opulent  fonune, 
being  mentioned  by  St.  Luke,  ch.  viii.  even  before  Johanna,  the  wife  of  Herod's 
cteward.    It  is  not  likely  that  suph  a  person  should  have  been  a  prostitute. 


of  the  Holy  Bible,  287 

Pharisee's  house  ;  not  to  feast  licr  eyes  with  the  sight  of  a 
miniculousand  glorious  person,  but  in  remorse  and  regret 
for  her  sins.  She  came  to  the  blessed  Jesus  to  lay  her  bur- 
den at  his  feet  ;  and  as  he  lay  along,  she  came  behind 
him  that  lay  next  to  Jesus,  and  standing  there,  let  fall  drops 
of  tears  upon  his  feet,  the  effects  of  sorrow  and  contrition  ; 
and  stooping  doun,  wiped  them  with  lier  hair  :  she  then 
fell  down  and  kissed  his  feet,  and  poured  a  box  of  oint- 
ment upon  them.  This  action  was  done  in  an  ecstacy  of 
love,  sorrow,  and  adoration  ;  a  festival  ceremony,  becoming 
the  mnjesty  of  the  greatest  earthly  monarch. 

Whilst  this  poor  sinner  thus  was  busy  in  the  expres- 
sions of  her  love  and  veneration  to  Jesus,  Simon,  in  whom 
something  of  the  perverse  and  peevish  Pharisee  still  appear- 
ed, thought  within  himself,  tku  Jesus  could  not  be  a  pro- 
phet ;  otherwise  he  would  have  known  this  woman  to  be  a 
sinncr,*^  and  not  have  suffered  her  to  touch  him.  Which 
Jesus  knowing,  (for  he  understood  his  thoughts  as  well  as 
his  words)  immediately  made  an  apolog}-  for  the  woman 
and  himself,  in  a  question  expressed  in  the  parable  of  two 
debtors,  to  whom  a  greater  and  a  less  debt  respectively 
were  forgiven  ;  both  of  them  teaching  that  they  would  love 
their  creditor  in  proportion  to  his  mercy  in  forgiving  their 
debts.  In  this  parable,  Jesus  gave  the  reason  of  this  wo- 
man's extraordinary  expression  of  love  and  grief,  and  his 
reasons  for  not  rejecting  her.  Then  applying  it  to  the  wo- 
man, he  reproved  his  host  by  distinguishing  between  his  and 
the  woman's  entertainment ;  and  concluding  the  parable 
with  forgiveness  of  her  sins  ;  for  she,  who  loved  much, 
had  much  forgiven.  This  was  so  home  and  plain  upon 
the  proud  Pharisee,  that  he  might  therein  read  his  own, 
when  it  stood  confronted  with  the  magnificence  of  the  wo- 
man's penitence  and  love ;  and  dinner  being  over,  Jesus 
dismissed  the  penitent  with  this  blessing:  "  This  great  and 
affectionate  expression  of  thy  faith  is  rewarded  with  a  free 

•  Sinner.  Though  %he  Jewish  religion  did  permit  harlots  of  their  own  nation 
to  live  and  enjoy  the  privileges  of  their  nation,  except  that  their  oblations  were 
refused  ;  yet  the  Pharisees,  who  pretended  to  a  greater  degree  of  sanctity  than 
others,  would  nqt  admit  them  to  civil  usages,  or  the  benefits  of  ordinary  society  ; 
ajd  therefore  Simon  the  Pharisee  made  this  objection  within  himself. 


288  J  Complete  History 

pardon  of  all  thy  sins  :  Go,  and  live  as  thou  oughtest  to 
do  tor  the  rest  of  thy  life,  and  God's  favour  and  ail  happi- 
ness Idc  with  thee. 

After  this,  Jesus  attended  by  the  twelve,  with  Mary 
Magdalen,  Joanna,  Susanna,  and  many  others,  who  sup- 
plied him  with  necessaries  out  of  their  own  possessions, 
went  through  the  whole  country,  preaching  the  glad 
tidings  of  the  kingdom  of  God  :  and  coming  into  a 
house  with  a  design  to  eat,  he  was  so  crowded  by  the 
people  that  he  could  not ;  and  therefore  he  disposed 
himself  to  dispense  his  time  to  the  necessities  of  those 
that  stood  in  need  of  his  help.  Of  which  there  were 
many  and  daily  instances  ;  and  with  one  of  which  he  was 
presented  in  the  person  of  a  poor  demoniac,  possessed 
with  a  blind  and  dumb  devil;  in  whose  behalf  his  friends 
intreated  Jesus,  that  he  would  cast  out  the  devil :  which 
he  immediately  did,  and  the  blind  man  saw,  and  the 
dumb  spake ;  so  much  to  the  amazement  of  the  people, 
that  they  ran  in  such  immense  numbers  after  him,  and 
so  offended  the  Pharisees,  who  thought  that  by  means  of 
this  prophet,  their  reputation  would  be  diminished,  and 
their  schools  deserted,  that  first  a  rumour  was  industri- 
ously circulated  among  the  people  that  Jesus  was  beside 
himself  On  which  report,  his  friends  and  kindred  came 
together  to  see,  and  to  make  some  provisions  accordingly. 
When  the  mother  and  other  relations  of  our  Lord  ar- 
rived, they  found  him  in  a  house,  incircled  with  a  mul- 
titude of  attentive  hearers,  who  were  filled  with  admira- 
tion. And  there  the  holy  Virgin- Mother  might  hear 
part  of  her  own  prophecy  literally  verified,  "  That  the 
generations  of  the  earth  should  call  her  blessed:"  for  a 
woman  worshipping  Jesus,  cried,  "  Blessed  is  the  womb 
that  bare  thee,  and  the  paps  that  gave  thee  suck."  To  this 
Jesus  replied,  not  denying  her  to  be  blessed,  who  had 
received  the  honour  of  being  the  mother  of  the  Messiah, 
but  rather  advancing  the  dignity  of  spiritual  blessings  far 
above  the  greatest  temporal  honour  in  the  world,  he  says ; 
"  Yea,  rather  blessed  are  they  that  hear  the  word  of  God 
and  perform  it." 

Our  blessed  Saviour  being  still  in  the  house,  they  in- 
formed him  that  his  mother  and  his  brethren  were  wait- 


of  the  Holy  Bible.  289 

jng  for  him  wltlioiit,  upon  v\  hich  he  told  them  that  those 
rclcitions  were  llir  iniei  ior  to  the  ties  of  duty  nnd  religion : 
for  the  dear  names  of  motlier  and  brother,  which  are  sanc- 
tified by  the  laws  of  God  ;ind  nature,  are  made  far  more 
sacred  when  a  spiritual  kindred  supervenes.  And  there- 
fore Christ,  to  sii^nify  this  office  of  his  to  declare  the  will 
of  his  Father,  to  be  dearer  to  him  than  all  relations,  and  at 
the  same  time  to  shew  that  obedience  to  God  was  above 
all  thinos  most  welcome  to  him,  he  tells  them,  that  natural 
and  secular  considerations  weighed  nothing  with  him  in 
«:omparison  of  the  gaining  Proselytes  to  heaven.  And 
turning  to  his  disciples,  he  said,  "  Behold  my  mother  and 
my  brethren;"  subjoining  for  a  reason,  "  Whosoever  doth 
the  will  of  my  Father  which  is  in  heaven  proves  thereby 
that  he  is  a  child  of  God,  and  consequently  brother  of 
Christ;  on  whom  he  setteth  a  greater  value,  than  paying  a 
civility  to  those  who  are,  in  carnal  respects,  nearer  to  him. 
The  Pharisees,  who  were  always  seeking  for  occasions 
of  finding  fault  with  our  blessed  Lord,  observing  that  he 
still  persisted  in  performing  miracles,  and  particularly  in 
casting  out  Demons,  renewed  the  old  accusation  ; — "  He 
casteth  out  devils  by  Beelzebub."  Which  senseless  ob- 
jection Christ  having  already  confuted,  arraigned  them 
solemnly  with  the  guilt  of  an  unpardonable  crime;  as- 
suring them  that  their  so  charging  those  actions,  which 
he  performed  by  the  energy  of  the  divine  Spirit,  was  a 
sin  against  the  Holy  Ghost.  And  however  they  might 
make  bold  with  the  Son  of  man,*  and  though  prevarica- 


•  Son  of  Man.  The  phrase  Son  of  Man,  in  Matt.  xii.  32,  belongs  to  Christ 
2S  he  appeared  in  the  weakness  of  human  nature,  the  son  of  Mary,  abstracted 
from  the  great  power  of  his  doctrine  and  miracles.  The  sin  therefore  against  the 
Son  of  Man  was  pardonable  ;  but  the  resisting  and  opposing  (which  is  often  ex- 
pressed  by  speaking)  the  Holy  Ghost  was  unpardonable. 

The  quality  of  the  Son  of  Man  is  often  very  ambiguous ;  and  therefore  we 
must  take  these  words,  "  Son  of  Man,"  in  their  proper  signification,  and  retain 
them  still  where  our  Saviour  is  evidently  understood,  who  has  been  pleased  to  take 
this  title  particularly  to  himself.  Sometimes  it  signifies  Jesus  Christ,  sometimes  a 
man  of  low  degree ;  as  in  Matt.  viii.  10,  and  in  Matt.  xii.  32.  This  is  likewise  thf 
sense  of  it,  as  many  of  the  learned  allow,  in  1  Sam.  ii.  25.  But  that  which  renders 
this  interpretation  more  probable  is  this;  that  St.  MarTc  makes  no  mention  of  th« 

Vol.  II.  O  o 


290  J  Complete' Bistort/ 

tions  against  liis  words,  or  injuiles  to  his  person  might, 
upon  rtpLiitance,  find  piirdon  ;  yet  it  wtxs  a  matter  of 
greater  coiisiclcration  to  sin  aguinst  the  Holy  Ghost,  for 
that  would  obtain  no  pardon  here,  or  hereafter  :  and 
taking  this  occasion  of  reprehending  the  Jews  for  their 
obstinacy  and  ingratitude,  he,  by  a  mysterious  and  in- 
genious parable,  gives  the  world  a  solemn  caution  against 
relapsing  and  backsliding  after  repentance;  "  To  you," 
says  he,  "  that  having  received  such  means  of  conversion 
and  repentance,  such  miracles,  and  particularly  casting 
out  devils,  have  not  yet  duly  improved  by  them,  I  shall 
now  apply  this  parable.  Matt.  xii.  43,  &c,  the  meaning 
of  which  is,  that  this  nation  (out  of  which  I  came  to  cast 
the  pov\"er  of  Satan,  to  bind  the  strong  man,  and  to  take 
from  him  his  usurped  possessions)  doth  appear  so  resolute 
to  resist  all  m\  methods,  as  to  blaspheme  that  Holy  Spirit 
by  whom  I  work  ;  and  then  what  is  to  be  expected,  but 
that  the  devils  ejected  by  me,  in  my  Father's  name,  find- 
ing no  where  among  the  heathen  such  desirable  habita- 
tions of  rest  and  contentment  as  among  you,  shall  endea- 
v'our  to  re-enter  here,  with  others  worse  than  thimselves, 
and  take  a  lasting  possession  ?  So  the  last  estate  of  this 
people  is  likely  to  be  more  desperate  than  it  was  at  first." 
On  the  same  day  our  blessed  Lord  went  to  the  sea-side,* 
where  being  again  encompassed  with  a  vast  concourse  of 
people,  he  went  on  board  a  vessel,  from  whence  he 
taught  the  people  on  the  shore  :  but  he  taur;;ht  them  by 
parables,  under  which  were  hidden  the  mysteries  of  the 
kingdom  of  life.  By  the  parable  of  the  sower,  scattering 
the  seed  by  the  way- side,  and  some  on  stpny,  some  on 
thorny,  and  some  on  good  ground,  he  intimated  the  seve- 
ral dispositions  of  men's  hearts,  the  carelessness  of  some, 
the  fi  owardness  and  levity  of  others,  the  easiness  and  soft- 


blasphemy  against  the  Son  of  Man,  sayhig  only  that "  all  sins  and  blasphemies  shall 
be  forgiven  unto  the  sons  of  men,  Mark  iii.  28,  which  shews  that  there  is  no  ques- 
tion here  of  a  particular  sin  against  the  Son  of  God,  which  St.  Mark  had  not  failed 
to  have  mentioned  if  any  such  thing  had  been  designed  by  that  expression. 

*  Sea-side'.     This  was  the  lake  of  Genesareth,  otherwise  called  the  sea  of  Tibe- 
rias^ from  atovvn  of  that  name,  which  btood  on  the  banks  of  the  lake. 


of  the  Holy  Bible.  ^9\ 

ness  of  a  third,  and  how  they  are  diverted  from  a  believing 
reception  ol"  the  word  by  Avorldliness  and  care  ;  how  many 
ways  tliere  are  to  miscarry,  and  that  but  one  sort  of  men, 
out  of  several,  recei\'e  the  word,  and  brinc^  forth  the  fruits 
of  a  hoi}'  life.  But  his  disciples,  wondering  that  he  should 
speak  so  mystically  and  obscurely  to  the  people,  asked 
him,  why  he  did  so?  To  whom  he  gave  this  ans\ver  : 
"  To  understand  the  deeper  and  more  obscure  parts  of  the 
gospel  is  a  privilege  only  belonging  to  you  disciples,  who 
are  believers  already,  and  have  given  up  }-ourselves  to  my 
direction  ;  but  these  have  not  done  so.  Whosoever  hath 
made  use  of  the  advantages  given  him  l)y  God,  sliall  ha\e 
more  given  him,  as  in  the  seed  that  fell  on  good  ground, 
he  shall  have  an  abundant  increase  ;  but  whosoever  shall 
not  make  use  of  what  he  hath,  and  so  by  his  own  fault  fall- 
elh  into  poverty,  shall  not  only  be  denied  more,  but  shall 
be  deprived  of  what  he  hath ;  the  means  of  grace  shall  be 
taken  from  him  upon  his  wilful  continuance  in  sin."  This 
was  the  reason  our  Saviour  gave  his  disciples  for  his  speak- 
ing in  parables,  to  which  he  subjoins  another  :  "  I  spake, 
says  he,  to  them    in  parables,  because*    seeing  they  see 

•  Because,  &c.  Though  our  blessed  Lord  spake  to  the  people  in  the  most  plain 
and  intelligible  manner,  yet  they  were  so  stupid,  as  not  to  perceive  and  undersfand 
him.  These  texts  of  St.  Matt.  xiii.  13,  St.  Mark  iv.  12,  and  St.  Ltike  viii.  10, 
do  in  the  Greek  all  agree  ;  but  are  differently  and  wrongly  translated  in  the  En- 
glish, andseemto  make  our  Saviour  speak  to  the  multitude  in  parables,  that  is, 
in  a  plain  and  famifiar  way,  that  they  may  not  perceive  or  understand  them ;  which 
is  contrary  to  the  design  of  Christ's  coming  into  the  world,  and  continuing  so 
long  in  it;  which  was  to  reform  mankind,  and,  by  his  holy  life  and  heavenly 
doctrine,  to  turn  men  from  their  wicked  ways,  and  put  them  in  the  way  that  leads 
to  eternal  happiness.  The  mistake  in  the  translation  must  proceed  from  the  false 
rendering  the  word  ina  in  St.  Mark,  and  St.  Luke,  which  St.  Matthew  expresses 
hv  boti,  both  which  words  signify  in  this  place  because-  That  of  St.  Mark  there- 
fore ought  literally  to  run  thus  :  "  because  seeing  they  do  see,  and  not  perceive, 
and  so  on  :"  that  of  St.  Luke  thus  ;  "  because  seeing  they  see  not,  and  hearing  they 
understand  not."  But  St.  Matthew  is  positively  most  expressive  ;  "  because  they 
seeing  see  not,  and  so  on."  The  natural  import  of  which  is,  That  the  Jew.s,  by 
reason  of  their  prejudices,  not  being  capable  to  understand  high  things,  our  Sa- 
viour, out  of  love  to  their  souls,  accommodates  himself  to  their  capacities,  by  speak- 
ing to  them  in  parables  ;  that  is,  in  metaphors  and  similitudes  borrowed  from  ten)- 
poral  and  bodily  things,  to  bring  them  to  the  understanding  of  his  doctrine.  ' 


292  A  Complete  Bistort/ 

not,  and  hearing  they  hear  not,  neither  do  they  understand. 
By  which  was  fulfilled  what  Isaiah  the  prophet  foretold  of 
God's  dealing  with  an  obstinate  people,  who  would  not  re- 
ceive or  entertain  the  truth,  though  never  so  plainly  repre- 
sented to  them.  And  this  was  a  just  judgment  of  God  up- 
on them  for  their  former  obstinacy,  who  shut  their  e}  es, 
and  stopped  their  ears,  that  they  might  not  be  converted  ; 
wherefore  God,  on  his  part,  would,  in  his  just  judgment, 
withdraw  such  precious  knowledge  from  them,  that  it 
might  not  be  exposed  to  farther  contempt." 

By  the  three  parables  of  the  seed  growing  together 
with  the  tares ;  of  the  mustard-seed  swelling  to  a  great 
tree;  and  of  a  little  leaven  qualifying  the  whole  lump, 
our  blessed  Saviour  signified  the  increase  of  the  gospel 
under  persecution  and  difficulties,  and  his  blessing  upon 
the  apostolic  word.  By  the  kingdom  of  heaven  he  means 
the  state  of  the  gospel,  which  he  likens  to  a  miin  that 
sowed  good  seed,  among  which  an  enemy  scattered  tares, 
and  which  the  servants  offered  to  weed  up ;  but  the  good 
man  forbiid  it,  because  the  tares  are  so  mixed  with  the 
wheat,  that  one  cannot  be  pulled  up  without  endanger- 
ing the  other,  especially  when  they  are  not  perfectly 
discernible.  Let  them  therefore  both  grow  up  together 
till  the  harvest,  that  is,  till  the  day  of  judgment,  when  I  will 
send  the  reapers,  that  is,  will  appoint  angels  as  officers 
to  separate  the  wheat  from  the  tares,  meaning  the  good 
from  the  wicked. 

The  state  of  the  gospel  is  of  such  an  increasing  nature, 
both  in  the  world,  and  in  the  heart  of  man,  where  it  is  re- 
ceived, that  it  is  fitly  compared  to  a  grain  of  mustard 
seed  ;*  which  being  one  of  the  least  seeds,  yet  vhen  it 


*  3Iustard.  That  a  mustard-seed  grows  into  a  tree,  is  affirjmed  by  St.  M^tt. 
xiii.  32,  and  St.  Luke  xiii.  19.  Which  must  not  be  measured  by  what  we  see 
of  this  seed  among  us,  but  by  considering  the  Hebrew  soil  and  clime,  of  which 
jhis  is  ordijiarilf  affirmed  among  their  authors,  who  mention  a  bough  of  a  mustard- 
tree  that  yielded  wood  enough  to  cover  a  little  house.  And  whereas  in  St.  Mat- 
thew it  is  said  to  bp  the  least  of  all  seeds,  though  among  us  other  seeds  may  be 
found  less  than  that,  as  rue  and  poppy,  yet  it  does  not  necessarily  follow  it  should 
he  so  there.  Bow€vei'i  "  is  apparent,  that  the  smallnesB  of  it  was  proverbial 
among  the  Jews. 


of  tlie  Holy  Bible.  29^ 

i^rows  up  prosperously,  it  becomes  lar,^er  than  any  thing 
that  conies  i'roni  a  seed,  and  among  the  Jews  grows  into  a 
tree  with  boughs  large  enough  lor  birds  to  roost  and 
lodge  in. 

Again,  the  gospel  hath  such  a  secret  invisible  influence 
on  the  hearts  of  men,  to  change  and  effect  them  and  all 
their  actions,  that  it  is  properly  compared  to  leaven, 
which  is  so  thoroughly  mixed  with  the  whole,  that  al- 
though it  appeareth  not  in  any  part  of  it  visibly,  yet  every 
part  halh  a  tincture  from  it. 

By  speaking  thus  in  parables,  our  blessed  Saviour  ful- 
filled what  was  before  spoken  by  the  prophetic  Psalmist.* 
*'  I  will  o^w  my  mouth  in  parables,  I  will  utter  things 
which  have  been  kept  secret  from  the  foundation  of  the 
world."  After  this,  he  dismissed  the  multitude,  and  re- 
tired into  a  house  ;  where  his  disciples,  taking  the  op- 
portunity of  privacy  there,  desire  him  to  explainf  the 
former  parables  to  them,  which  he  accordingly  did,  ren- 
dering them  into  their  proper  meanings,  adding  to  them 
two  parables  more,  concernhig  the  dignity  of  the  gospel : 
in  the  first  of  which  he  compares  it  to  a  treasure  hid  in  a 
field,  which  a  man  finding  casually  hid  it  again,  and  con- 


•  Psalmist.     See  Psalmlxxviii.  2. 

•f-  Explain.  By  our  Saviour's  explaining  all  things  to  his  disciples,  when  he 
was  alone  with  them,  we  may  understand  that  he  instructed  them  in  private  in,' 
his  doctrine,  enlarged  on  the  meaning  of  the  parables,  and  likewise  informedi 
them  of  several  other  things  which  were  neither  necessary  nor  proper  to  be 
known  by  the  multitude  at  that  time :  so  that  this  expression  of  St.  Mat.  xiii.  11. 
"  To  you  it  is  given  to  know  the  mysteries  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  but  to  them 
it  is  not,"  does  not  in  the  least  imply,  that  our  Saviour's  parables  were  dark  or 
obscure,  and  that  by  speaking  to  the  multitude  in  them,  he  had  a  design  to  con- 
ceal any  truth  which  was  necessary  to  be  known  by  them,  but  only  that  he  made 
a  fuller  discovery  of  his  doctrine  to  his  disciples,  than  to  the  multitude ;  because  his 
disciples  were  more  disposed  to  receive  it,  and  were  afterwards  to  be  the  preachers 
of  it,  and  to  seal  the  truth  of  it  with  their  blood.  Nor  is  it  any  proof  of  the  obscu- 
rity of  our  Saviour's  parables,  that  the  disciples  did  not  understand  some  of  them ; 
for  though  they  were  honest  and  sincere,  yet  they  were  often  at  a  loss  in  ordinaiy 
things,  of  which  their  not  understanding  the  parable  of  the  sower  seems  to  be  an 
instance,  for  which  our  Saviour  upbraids  them,  saying,  "  Know  ye  not  this  par- 
able? How  then  will  ye  knov/  all  parables  :" 


294  A  Complete  History 

cealcd  it  till  be  could  get  it  into  his  possession  by  buying 
the  field,  for  which  he  accounts  no  price  too  dear. 
-  In  the  second  parable,  he  compares  the  gospel  to  a 
jewel  of  vast  price;  for  to  those  who  have  followed  the 
study  of  wisdom  and  the  practice  of  holiness,  the  gospel 
of  Christ,  is  as  welcome  as  a  prize  to  a  merchant,  who 
being  in  pursuit  of  rich  merchandize,  and  meeting  with 
an  inestimable  jewel,  disputes  not  the  price,  but  imme- 
diately sells  all  that  he  hath  in  the  world,  and  purchaseth 
it;  telling  his  disciples  withal,  that  although  purity  and 
spiritual  perfection  were  intended  by  the  gospel,  yet  they 
would  not  be  acquired  by  every  person  ;  but  that  the 
public  professors  of  Christianity  should  be  a  mixed  multi- 
tude, like  a  net  inclosing  fishes  good  and  bad  ;  which 
should  finally  be  distinguished,  the  good  to  be  preserved, 
and  the  bad  to  be  cast  away.  Likewise  the  same  distinc- 
tion would  be  observed,  not  onlv  at  the  time  wherein 
Christ  should  come  to  take  reveuije  on  his  enemies  at  the 
destruction  of  the  Jewish  state,  but  especially  at  the  final 
day  of  every  man's  doom,  at  the  conclusion  of  the  world. 
After  these  discourses,  he  retired  into  his  own  city  of 
Nazareth,  where  he  was  bred,  and  taught  the  people  pub- 
licly in  their  synagogues,  which  he  did  in  an  extraordi- 
nary manner,  expressing  such  knowledge,  and  perform- 
ing such  miracles,  that  they  who  saw  and  heard  him,  were 
amazed  at  them ;  and  they  that  knew  his  birth  and  educa- 
tion amongst  them  could  not  but  admire,  saying,  "  Whence 
can  he  be  imagined  to  derive  the  power  oi  doing  such  mi- 
racles ?  Do  V.  e  not  know  him,  his  parents,  and  relations?" 
The  people  of  Nazareth  did  him  no  honour  as  a  prophet : 
they  regarded  his  birth  here  below,  but  not  his  commis- 
sion from  heaven ;  though  he  evinced  plainly  by  his  mi- 
raculous acts  from  whom  he  came  :  they  would  know  him 
in  nothing  but  the  disadvantages  of  his  youth,  kindred, 
trade,  and  poverty  ;  still  retaining  in  their  minds  the  in- 
firmities and  humility  of  his  first  years,  and  keeping  the- 
same  apprehensions  of  him  now  a  man  and  a  prophet,  which 
they  had  of  him  whilst  a  child  in  the  shop  of  a  carpenter. 
But  when  Jesus  in  his  sermon  had  reproved  their  infideli- 
ty, at  which  he  wondered,  and  therefore  did  but  few  mi- 
racles there  compared  u  ith  what  he  had  done  at  Capernaum, 


of  the  Holy  Bible.  '  29^ 

and  hud  iiuimnted  the  preference  that  Capernaum  should 
have  belore  Nazareth,  they  were  so  incensed  at  liis  just 
reproaches,  that  they  resolved  to  destroy  him  ;  in  order 
to  which  they  thrust  him  out  of  the  city,  and  led  him  to 
the  brow  of  the  hill  on  which  it  was  built,  intending  his 
execution  by  throwing  him  down  head-long.  But  the  great 
work  for  which  he  was  sent,  was  not  yet  finished ;  and 
therefore  to  preserve  himself  for  the  performance  of  his 
Father's  will,  he  miraculously  saved  himself  by  departing 
through  the  midst  of  them,  who  had  not  power,  though 
malice  enough,  to  seize  him. 

Jesus  having  miraculously  escaped  the  fury  of  his  own 
countrymen,  withdrew  from  ungrateful  Nazareth,  and 
travelled  into  Galilee,  teaching  in  most  of  the  towns  and 
villages  thereof,  attended  by  his  disciples,  and  certain 
u'omen,  out  of  whom  he  had  cast  unclean  spirits,  such  as 
were  Mary  Magdalene,  Johanna  wife  to  Chuza,  Herod's 
steward,  Susanna,  and  some  others,  who  attended  him,  and 
ministered  to  him  out  of  their  own  substance,  and  be- 
came part  of  that  holy  society,  which  about  this  time  be- 
gan to  be  full ;  because  now  the  apostles,  whom  our  Sa- 
viour had  sent  out  by  two  and  two,  were  returned  from 
their  preaching,  full  of  joy  that  the  devils  were  made 
subject  to  the  words  of  their  mouth,  and  could  no  longer 
stand  at  the  invocation  of  the  holv  name  of  Jesus.  Hav- 
ing  thus  wrought  miracles,  and  taught  the  people  where- 
ever  they  came,  they  began  to  be  a  little  puftbd  up  w  ith 
their  successful  itinerancy,  which  their  holy  master  per- 
ceiving, suppresses  the  rising  vanity  of  their  minds ; 
and  to  destroy  the  vain  conceits  to  which  these  miraculous 
actions  of  theirs  had  given  birth,  he  intimated  to  them, 
that  such  privileges  were  not  the  solid  foundation  of  a  holy 
joy,  any  farther  than  as  they  co-operated  to^vard  the  great 
end  of  God's  glory,  and  their  own  salvation  ;  to  which 
they  xvere  chosen,  their  names  being  written  in  the  book  of 
lile,  on  which  account  the  highest  degree  of  joy  is  reasona- 
ble, holy,  and  unchangeable. 

It  was  now  about  a  /ear  since  Herod*  had  committed 


•  Herod.     Our  translation  and  that  of  Geneva  safem  to  represent  Herod  as  a. 
prince  who  respected  Jolrn  tlie  Baptist,  and  had  a  great  esteem  for  all  he  said, 


296  A  Coii^pltie  History 

John  the  Baptist  close  prisoner  to  the  castle  of  Macheruns, 
lying  all  the  while  exposed  to  the  fury  and  resentment  of  a 
malicious  woman,  who  could  not  forgive  the  rebuke  the 
Baptist  gave  to  Herod,  in  telling  him  it  was  unlawful  for 
him  to  have  his  brother's  wife.  In  vain  had  Herodias 
racked  her  brain  for  an  opportunity  to  destroy  him  for  itj 
for  Herod  had  not  yet  filled  up  the  measure  of  his  iniqui- 
ty. But,  after  a  year's  waiting,  a  favourable  occasion  pre- 
sented itself  to  complete  her  revenge.  Herod's  birth-day 
being  solemnized  with  much  mirth  and  gaiety,  among  other 
joyful  entertainments  nothing  contributed  so  much  to  He- 
rod's pleasure  and  satisfaction  as  the  performance  of  Hero- 
dias's  daughter  in  a  dance  :  insomuch  that  Herod  rashly 
promised  her  whatsoever  she  would  ask,  and  confirming 
his  promise  with  an  oath.  The  damsel,  not  wicked  enough 
of  herself,  consulted  her  impious  mother,  who  as  readily 
as  maliciously  instructed  her  daughter  to  demand  the  head 
ef  John  Baptist :  to  obtain  this  she  addresses  herself  to 
Herod,  and  demands  the  performance  of  his  promise.  He- 
rod was  now  troubled*  indeed  ;  variety  of  thoughts  dis- 


Mark  vi.  20.  Though  by  St.  Matthew  and  St.  John  he  is  represented  as  a  very 
wicked  man,  whom  nothing  but  the  fear  of  the  people,  that  looked  on  John  as 
a  prophet,  prevented  putting  him  to  death,  Matt.  xiv.  5,  Luke  iii.  19,  20.  But 
We  are  to  consider,  that  the  Greek  word  Synetaerci,  which  the  Geneva  version 
translates  to  reverence,  and  ours  to  observe,  signifies  "  to  keep  prisoner,"  or 
"  to  observe  or  watch  with  an  ill  design."  We  must  consider  farther,  that  Ro- 
bert Stephens,  and  Beza,  had  some  Greek  copies,  where,  instead  of  the  words 
which  we  render  "He  did  many  things,"  there  are  words  wtiich  signify  "  He 
was  much  vexed  or  troubled  :"  which  indeed  much  better  represent  the  temper 
of  that  dissolute  prince.  Josephus  the  historian  observes,  that  Herod  had  put 
John  Baptist  to  death,  because  he  thought  the  people  were  altogether  led  by  him  ; 
which  is  an  argument  that  he  did  neither  respect  him,  nor  hear  him  gladly,  nor 
do  many  things  for  love  of  him.  The  text  then  should  be  thus  translated,  "  for" 
Herod  feared  John,  knowing  that  he  was  a  just  man,  and  holy,  and  he  kept  liini 
prisoner,  or  kepr  a  watchful  ey€  over  him,  and  having  heard  him  he  was  much 
perplexed,  though  he  heard  him  peaceably. 

•  Troubled.  The  ancients  were  wont  on  the.ir  birth-day  feasts  to  forbear  all 
secular  employments,  to  have  no  quarrels  nor  contentions,  no  pleadings  in  their 
courts,  but  especially  no  shedding  of  blood,  no  executions  ;  counting  it  unfit  to 
deprive  a3^]rofKie  on  the  day  thefi'cceivcd  their  own.  This  therefore  might  be  one 


of  the  Holy  Bible.  297 

turbcd  him ;  not  so  niiicb  from  tlic  fear  of  doini^  an  evil 
action  in  miuderins^  a  good  man,  but  of  the  people's  re- 
seiitnieiit,  who  had  a  hi,<.>;Ii  opinion  of  Jolin's  mission. 
However,  beeansc  lie  had  sworn,  and  tiiat  it  might  not 
appear  from  levity  or  inconsistency  to  those  that  were  at 
the  feast  with  him,  he  would  not  retract  his  promise,  but 
sacrificed  the  Baptist  to  a  rash  vow,  made  in  the  gaiety  of 
liis  riotous  entertainment.  John,  being  beheaded,  his 
head*-  was  brought  in  a  di!:>]i,  and  presented  to  the  young 
girl,t  wiio  gave  it  to  her  mother.  John's  disciples  hearing 
of  this,  took  care  of  his  burial,  J  which  being  done  they 
came  to  Jesus,  whose  forerunner  John  w-as,  and  told  him 
all  that  had  befallen  John,  staying  (it  is  probable)  with  Je- 
sus as  his  disciples. 

The  miraculous  cures  which  the  apostles  wrought,  were 
soon  spread  around  the  country;  but  when  those  of  our 
Saviour  came  to  be  divulged,  the  fame  of  them  echoed 
through  the  palaces  of  princes  ;  insomuch  that  cruel  He- 
rod, in  all  his  greatness,  was  alarmed  with  anxious  thoughts 
as  soon  as  ever  he  heard  the  mighty  character  of  Jesus, 
and  the  wonders  he  performed.  His  lethargic  soul  was 
roused  from  its  sinful  security,  and  his  jealous  apprehen- 


of  the  occasions  of  Herod's  sorrow  or  trouble  for  this  demand  of  the  girl. 

•  Head.  It  has  been  said,  that  when  Herodias  had  the  head  presented  to  her  by 
her  daughter  Salome,  she  thrust  the  tongue  through  with  a  needle,  and  afterwards 
buried  the  head  in  her  own  palace,  thinking,  perhaps,  to  secure  it  against  a  re-uni- 
on, lest  it  should  disturb  her  unlawful  lusts,  and  disquiet  Herod's  conscience. 

■\  Girl.  There  is-an  ancient  tradition,  that  this  girl,  who  danced  off  the  Bap- 
tist's head,  passing  over  a  frozen  lake,  the  ice  breaking,  she  fell  in  up  to  the  neck, 
and  that  her  head  was  parted  from  her  body  by  the  violence  of  the  fragments  of 
ice  shaken  by  the  water,  and  its  own  fall.  Nor  was  it  long  before  God's  judg- 
ment reached  the  incestuous  couple :  for  Aretas,  a  king  in  Arabia  Petrea  (whose 
daughter  Herod  had  divorced,  or  put  away  for  Herodias)  making  war  with  Herod 
for  the  affront  offered  to  his  daughter,  defeated  him  :  soon  after  which  the  adulte- 
rous pair  were  banished  to  Lyons  in  France  by  a  decree  of  the  Romah  senate,  where 
they  lived  ingloriously,  and  died  miserably. 

\  Burial.  John  was  buried  in  Sebaste,  in  the  confines  of  Samaria,  having  his 
grave  between  the  bodies  of  Elizeusand  Abdias  the  prophets. 

Vol.  H.  Pp 


298  A  Complete  Historif 

sions  were  such  as  arose  from  his  guilt :  he  thought  it  was 
John  the  Baptist  who  was  risen  from  the  dead,  and  that 
these  mighty  works  were  demonstrations  of  his  power,  in- 
creased l3y  the  super-additions  of  immortaUty,  and  more 
divine  influences,  proportioned  to  the  honour  of  a  martyr, 
and  a  state  of  separation. 

When  Jesus  heard  of  the  barbarous  treatment  of  John^ 
that  the  same  might  not  befal  him  before  he  had  fulfilled 
the  oflice  for  which  he  was  sent,  he  departed  by  ship  from 
thencG,  taking  none  but  his  disciples  with  him,  and  went 
to  a  place  not  inhabited.  But  he  could  not  be  long  con- 
cealed any  where  ;  for  the  people  hearing  where  he  was^ 
though  in  an  inliospitable  desert,  flocked  to  him  in  vast 
numbers,  taking  a  great  circuit  by  land  before  they  could 
reach  him.  The  holy  Jesus,  seeing  their  faith  and  zeal, 
though  he  came  to  this  desert  to  avoid  being  thronged, 
would  not  conceal  himself  any  longer  from  tliem  ;  but  be- 
ing moved  with  compassion  he  came  to  them,  and  healed 
their  sick.  But  considering  afterwards  that  they  were  not 
within  reach  of  any  entertainment,  there  being  no  house  or 
village  near,  lest  the  multitude  should  faint  in  their  return 
to  their  houses,  he  resolved  by  a  miraculous  supply  to 
make  provision  for  them :  and  demanding  what  store  of 
food  they  had,  the  disciples  told  him  they  had  only  five 
loaves  and  two  fishes.  Upon  which  commanding  the 
company  to  sit  down  on  the  grass,  he  took  the  loaves  and 
fishes,  and  looking  up  to  heaven,  blessed  and  brake  them, 
giving  them  to  the  disciples  to  divide  among  the  multi- 
tude. Here  was  a  miracle  beyond  the  expectation  or  de- 
sire of  the  people  :  they  obtained  their  object  in  attending 
him,  by  having  tht^ir  sick  healed ;  but  when  they  saw  that 
with  five  loaves  of  barley,  and  two  small  fishes,  he  had 
satisfied  five  thousand  men,  besides  women  and  children, 
and  that  the  fragments  vi'hich  remained  filled  twelve  bas- 
kets^ 5l)e  miracle  so  happily  met  their  wants,  that  they  no 
lon.ger  doubted  of  his  being  the  Messiah,  who  was  to 
come  i.ntQ  the  world,  and  therefore  they  designed  to  take 
him  back  with  them  by  force,  and  proclaim  him  king.* 


■•;i= 


King.    See  John  vi.  J5. 


of  the  Holy  Bible.  299 

But  Jesus  presently  sent  his  disciples  before  him  to  tlj^ 
"wilderness  by  sea,  which  was  on  the  same  side  ^\  iih  Beih- 
saida  and  Capernaum  :  for  he  that  left  his  father's  kingdom 
to  take  upon  him  the  miseries  and  infelicities  of  this  world, 
declined  the  tumultuary  election  of  an  earthly  crown. 
Therefore,  when  he  had  sent  away  his  disciples  to  Beth- 
saida  bv  water,  he  went  into  the  mountains  to  secrete 
himself  till  the  multitude  should  separate  to  their  several 
habitaticns ;  he,  in  the  mean  time,  taking  tJie  opportunity 
of  that  retirement  for  a  season  of  prayer.*  But  when  the 
apostles  were  engaged  in  the  sea  far  from  land,  on  a  sudden 
a  great  and  violent  storm  arose,  with  which  they  were 
pressed  to  the  extremity  of  danger,  labouring  almost  in 
hopelessness  and  despair  till  the  fourth  watch  of  the  night ; 
when  in  the  midst  of  their  fears  and  labours,  Jesus  comes 
walking  on  the  sea,  and  appeared  to  them,  w  Inch  occasioned 
th6  utmost  consternation.  They  had  lost  their  pilot  who 
used  to  conduct  them  safely  through  all  difficulties  of  sea 
and  land  ;  and  being  now  left  to  themselves,  they  had  no- 
thing but  despair  and  death  before  their  eyes ;  and  seeing 
a  shape  of  they  knew  not  what  walking  on  the  water,  they 
supposed  it  had  been  a  spirit :  but  in  tenderness  to  their 
frailty  he  soon  dispelled  their  fears,  by  informing  them 
who  he  was,  which  yet  they  desired  to  ha\e  confirmed  to 
them  by  demonstration  :  for  when  Jesus  bid  them  not  to 
be  afraid,  telling  them  who  he  was,  Simon  Peter  said  unto 
him,  '*  Master,  if  it  be  thou,  command  me  to  come  to 
thee  on  the  waters,"  The  Lord  did  so ;  and  Peter  throw- 
ing himself  upon  the  confidence  of  his  master's  power 
and  providence,  came  out  of  the  ship ;  but  his  fears  be- 
ginning to  weigh  him  down,  he  cried  out,  saying,  "  Lord 
save  me  !"  Jesus  taking  him  by  the  hand,  reproved  his  ti- 
morousness,  and  the  weakness  of  his  faith,  "  Why  didst 
thou  doubt  ?  Why  was  thy  heart  divided  between  faith 
and  diffidence  ?  Why  didst  thou  distrust  my  power,  who 
bid  thee  come  to  me  ?"  When  they  were  come  into  the 
ship,  the  rest  of  the  disciples  seeing  Peter  safe,  and  the 
storm  appeased,  came  and  adored  Jesus,  acknowledging 


Prayer,    See  Matt.  xiv.  ^3. 


500  ^4  Complete  History 

bis  omnipotence,  and  admiring  the  divinity  of  his  power 
and  person.  From  hence  they  went  over  to  the  land  of 
Genesareth,  whither,  when  the  inhabitants  heard  that  he 
was  come  (for  they  knew  him,  as  having  been  there  be- 
fore) they  sent  unto  him  all  the  diseased  people  in  the 
place,  with  so  firm  a  confidence  believing  his  power,  that 
they  only  desired  a  touch  of  his  garment  for  the  curing 
their  most  stubborn  and  inveterate  maladies  :  and  as  many 
as  touched  his  clothes  were  healed. 

The  day  following,  the  people  that  stood  on  the  other 
side  of  the  sea  considering  that  there   was  no  other  boat 
there,  but  that  wherein  the  disciples  had  embarked,  and 
that  they  had  put  off  without  Jesus,  coming  nigh  the  place 
where  they  had  eaten  bread,  when  by  blessing  the  five 
loaves  he  so  multiplied  them,  that  they   were  sufficient  to 
feed  five  thousand  ;  and  found   that  he  was  gone  from 
rhence  as  well  as  his  disciples,  they  concluded  thai  Jesus, 
though  he  ^vent  not  \\\\\\  them,  was  gone  after  them  to 
Capernaum,  his  usual  habitation  :  and  having  opporiunity 
of  other  vessels  for  passage,  they  took  ship,  and  went  to 
Capernaum  to  seek  for  him.     Where   when  they  found 
liim,  and  not  knowing  which  way  he  came  thither,  they 
in  a  surprise  asked  him  how  he  came  there.     But  Jesus, 
instead  of  gratifying  their  curiosity  Avith  a  direct  answer, 
takes  occasion  from  thisanxioiis  inquiry  of  theirs  to  observe 
to  them,  "  That  which  induces  vou  to  follow  me  is  not 
the  acknowledgment  of  my  divine  power  evidenced  by  my 
miracles  ;  nor  is  it  to  embrace  my  doctrine,  "nor  a  desire 
to  learn  of  me,  but  a  gross  and  carnal  complacency  of  gra- 
tifying your   appetites,  and  such  advantages,  as  you.  ob- 
tained by  my  multiplying  the  loaves  to  feed  you.     Set  not 
your  hearts  on  these  poor  external  advantages,  desire  not 
to  acquire  this  corporal   food  in  order   to  your   Morldly 
ends  ;   but  labour  earnestly  to  obtain  that  food  w  hich  is 
imperishable,  and  \vill  make  all  that  feed  on  it  inmiortal." 
Hereupon  they  said  to  him,  "  What  course  wilt  thou  pre- 
scribe to  us,  that    we  may  be  always  employed  in  the 
works  of  God,  so  as  to  be  acceptable  to  him  ?"     Jesus 
tells  them,  "  Tliat  which  God  requires  of  them  is  to  be- 
lieve on  him,  the  Messiah,  whom  Ciod  hath  sent."  Then 


of  the  llolij  Bible.  301 

tliey,  though  they  had  befjre  believed,  and  conckided  that 
lie  nui^t  be  the  Messiah*  and  were  therci'ore  resolved  to 
make  him  their  king,  now  retract  their  former  resolution, 
and  demanded  larthcr  demonstration  ;  telling  him  they 
had  great  reason  to  adhere  to  Moses,  who  wrought  such 
miracles,  and  brought  down  bread  from  heaven  ready  pre- 
pared ;  and  unless  he  would  produce  some  such  tcstimo- 
iiy  as  might  equal  that  of  the  Manna,  they  would  not  be- 
lieve on  him.  Jesus  replied,  "  That  Manna  came  not 
frum  heaven,  but  out  of  the  airy  region;  and  it  was  the 
work  of  God,  not  of  Moses  :  and  now  the  same  God  gives 
you  far  more  durable  food  than  that  was  ; — he  gives 
you  his  Son,  who  came  really  from  heaven,  and  who  is 
bread  and  food  to  your  souls,  as  Manna  was  to  your  fa- 
thers :  for  that  fed  but  the  body,  and  presently  perished  ; 
but  that  which  God  gives  you  now  is  for  your  souls,  and 
*  feeds  them  to  eternity.  I  am  that  durable  life-giving 
bread  of  God,  whose  excellency  is  inlinitely  above  that 
of  Manna.  You  have  seen  me,  and  tasted  of  my  mira- 
cles, yet  ye  do  not  believe  in  me,  and  consequently  feed 
not  on  this  true  bread  which  came  down  from  heaven,  f 
This  is  an  evidence  of  great  obstinacy  in  you  ;  for  had 
God's  preventing  grace  any  influence  on  you,  you  would 
certainly  come  and  obey  my  call,  and  I  should  not  af- 
terwards reject  you,  for  this  lies  upon  me,  as  the  office 
for  which  my  Father  hath  sent  me,  the  fulfilling  of  which 
is  my  care,  that  I  should  preserve  every  one  that  shall 
thus  come  and  believe  on  me,  and  give  to  every  one  thut 
perseveres,  besides  many  excellent  privileges  here,  eter- 
nal life  of  body  and  soul  hereafter.  There  is  also  ano- 
ther part  of  my  Father's  commission  to  me,  that  wlioso- 
ever  believeth  in  his  Son  should  not  perish,  but  inherit 
everlasting  life  in  the  other  world."  When  the  Jews 
heard  him  say  he  was  the  bread  which  came  down  from 
heaven ;  they,  regarding  his  birth  here  on  earth,  and  his 
parentage,  could  not  forbear  murmuring.  To  v.'hich  Je- 
sus replies,  "  I  have  said  nothing  to  cause  this  murmur- 


Messiah.  See  John  y.  14,  &c.  f  Heaxen.  See  John  vi.  37,  8y:. 


302  A  Complete  History 

ing:*  it  is  true,  there  is  some  pretence  for  these  vulgar 
prejudices  against  me  ;  but  it  is  an  effect  of  my  Fatlier's 
preventing  grace  to  fit  and  prepare  men's  hearts  to  be 
ready  and  willing  to  come  to  me  :  and  for  every  one  that 
doth  thus  come,  and  therein  obey  my  call,  on  him  will 
I  certainly  bestow  everlasting  life.  The  sum  therefore 
of  what  I  thus  say  hath  been  obscurely  delivered  to  you 
of  old  by  the  prophets  :  for  they,t  speaking  of  these 
times  foretold  that  God  would  dispose  the  hearts  of  men 
to  receive  Christ ;  and  therefore  it  was  that  I  said,  that 
every  disciple  of  my  Father  who  hath  been  truly  taught 
of  him,  doth  certainly  come  to  me,  and  believe  in  me. 
The  Manna  given  in  t!)e  desert  did  not  make  those  im- 
mortal that  did  eat  it :  K»ul  the  bread  which  is  now  sent 
you  down  from  heaven,  will  give  immortality  to  them 
that  feed  on  it.  And  this  bread  of  life  is  not  only  pre- 
pared for  } ou  Jews,  but  for  all  others  who  receive  and 
digebt  it  into  the  food  and  nourishment  of  their  souls." 
Hereupon  the  Jews  taking  every  thing  he  spake  in  aj 
literal  sense,  disputed  nmong  themselves  how  he  could 
give  his  fiesh  to  eat,  and  'tis  blood  to  drink.  Jesus  know- 
ing their  perplexity,  tells  them  in  the  same  metaphorical 
way,  "  Except  you  feed  on  this  celestial  food,  that  is, 
bcheve  on  me  as  a  Sa\  iour,  you  have  no  part  of  the  true 
immortal  life  in  vou.  For  1  that  am  sent  in  the  flesh  to 
die  for  the  world,  and  am  the  food  which  will  nourish 
you  to  everlasting  life  :  so  that  he  that  believeth  in  mc 
must  necessarily  derixe  life  from  me.  The  Manna  which 
your  fathers  did  eat  could  not  preserve  them  for  ever,  for 
they  are  dead  ;  but  the  bread  that  I  shall  give  you  shall  be- 
to  you  everlasting  food."  In  this  metaphorical  way 
I  of  speaking  Jesus  continued  some  time  ;    upon  which  di- 

vers of  his  disciples  §  forsook  him,  being  offended  by  their 


*  Murmurin^r.     See  John  vi.  44,  &.c. 

•j-  Ti>ey.     See  John  vi.  56,  57,  &c. 

I  A.     See  Isaiah  liv.  13. 

{  Disciples.  John  vi.  66.  Among  those  disciples  which  St.  John  says  de- 
serted our  Saviour  upon  the  misunderstanding  of  this  Sermon,  St.  Mark  the  Evan- 
gelist is  by  Epiphanius,  Herxs.  xv.  said  to  be  one,  but  that  he  was  afterwardB 
lecalted  by  Simon  Peter. 


of  the  Hohj  Bible.  303 

literal  and  carnal  understanding  of  those  words  which  he 
intended  in  a  spiritual  sense  :  tor  the  words  which  he  spake 
were  not  profitable  in  the  sense  of  flesh  and  blood  ;  but 
they  are  spirit,  and  they  are  life,  himself  being  the  expoun- 
der, who  best  knew  his  own  meaning. 

Jesus  seeing  this  great  desertion  of  his  disciples,  began 
to  suspect  the  rest,  not  excepting  the  twelve  apostles ; 
and  therefore  turning  to  them,  he  asked  them,  if  they 
also  would  forsake  him?  To  whom  Simon  Peter  an- 
swered, *'  Lord,  whither  shall  we  go?  Thou  hast  the 
words  of  eternal  life :  and  we  believe,  and  are  sure  that 
thou  art  that  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living  God.'*  But 
although  this  public  confession  was  made  by  St.  Peter  in 
the  name  and  confidence  of  the  other  apostles,  yet  Jesus, 
who  knew  the  hearts  of  them  all,  answered  Peter,  "  Have 
not  I  of  all  the  followers  that  have  professed  to  believe 
in  me,  chosen  but  twelve  to  be  my  constant  attendants, 
and  one  of  them  is  a  traitor?"  meaning  Judas  Iscariot,  who 
afterwards  betrayed  him.  This  he  spake  to  them  pro- 
phetically, that  they  might  perceive  that  the  events 
which  afterward  took  place,  particularly  in  the  treachery 
of  Judas,  who  conspired  with  the  Jews  to  destroy  him, 
did  not  surprize  him  that  he  could  not  prevent  them, 
but  that  they  came  by  his  own  knowledge  and  permis- 
sion  :  and  though  Judas  as  yet  had  made  no  offer  or  at- 
tempt that  way,  yet  our  Saviour  knew  he  would  deUver 
him  to  the  Jews,  notwithstanding  he  was  so  near  him  as 
to  be  one  of  the  apostles,  whom  he  intended  should  preacli 
the  gospel  to  all  people. 


A 

COMPLETE 


HISTORY 


QF  THE 


!^olj»  Bible. 


BOOK  THE  NINTH. 


The  third  Year  of  Chrisf  s pithlic  Ministry ^  heginmng  about 
the  time  of  the  third  Passover  after  his  Baptism, 


O 


UR  blessed  Saviour  thought  proper  to  dechne  a  jour- 
ney to  Jerusalem  to  observe  the  third  pussover  after  his 
baptism,  but  went  about  preaching  among  the  cities  of  Ga- 
lilee, where  he  rather  chose  to  do  it  than  in  Judea,  because 
the  rulers  of  the  Jews,  especially  those  of  the  Sanhedrim 
at  Jerusalem,  were  lying  in  wait  for  some  advantage  or  oc- 
casion to  put  him  to  death.  The  Pharisees,  therefore,  and 
some  Scribes  who  came  from  Jerusalem,  knowing  this, 
quarrelled  with  him,  about  certain  impertinent  and  unne- 
cessary rites,  derived  to  them  not  by  divine  sanction,  but  the 
mere  ordinances  of  men,  such  as  that  of  washing*  their 
hands  often  when  they  eat,  and  several  other  ceremonies, 
which  the  apostles  of  Jesus  did  not  observe,  but  attended  di- 
ligently to  the  simplicity  and  spiritual  holiness  of  their  mas- 
ter's doctrine.   But  in  return  to  these  and  many  other  of  their 

*  Washing.  This  was  a  mere  superstition  among  the  Jews,  and  so  strictlj 
enjoined,  that  the  transgressor  was  esteemed  guilty  of  a  capital  crime :  insomuch 
that  some  of  their  rabbies  thought  it  worthy  of  death. 


of  the  Holy  Bible.  305 

^  ain  demands,  Jesus  gave  them  a  sharp  reproof  for  observ- 
ing; these  and  other  traditions,  to  the  neglect  of  divine  pre- 
cepts ;  and  in  particular  the  respect  they  taught  men  to  give 
to  the  Corbnn,*  and  refused  to  supply  the  necessity  of 
others,  thinking  it  to  be  religion,  though  they  neglected 
piety  and  charity,  and  that  to  so  great  objects  as  even  ne- 
cessitous parents.  Here  was  an  example  plain  enough  to 
demonstrate,  that  they  who  insisted  so  strictly  upon  the 
observation  of  traditions,  made  no  scruple  to  annul  the  ob- 
ligations of  God's  commands.  Then  charging  them  with 
downright  hypocrisy,  he  reproaclies  tliem  with  what  Isaiah 
prophesied  of  them. ;  "  Ye  draw  near  me  in  outward  pro- 
fessions of  devotion,  but  your  hearts  are  far  from  me.  The 
service  which  ye  perform  to  mc  is  vain,  and  likely  to  re- 
ceive a  slender  reward,  since  my  commands  are  not  re- 
garded by  you,  but  instead  thereof  ye  set  up  the  constitu- 
tions of  men."  Then  leaving  the  Pharisees  with  some  dis- 
pleasure, he  calls  the  multitude,  who,  while  he  talked  with 
the  Pharisees,  stood  at  some  distance,  and  spoke  more 
hopefully  of,  and  cheerfully  to  them,  saying,  "  As  to  this 
matter  of  washing  before  meat,  so  much  insisted  on  by  the 
Pharisees,  do  you  consider  what  I  now  say.  Not  that 
which  is  eaten,  but  that  which  is  spoken  polluteth  man." 
His  disciples  knowing  the  malice  of  the  Pharisees,  feared 
that  by  ai)y  farther  reproaches  he  might  aggravate  and  pro- 
voke them  to  do  him  some  mischief,  but  he  gives  them  no 
other   reply  than  this  :   "  All  that  come  with  such  pre- 


*  Corban.  There  was  a  solemn  form  of  devoting  among  the  Jews,  though  con- 
trary to  charity,  yet  very  frequent  among  them,  such  as  to  bind  a  man's  self  by 
vow  or  execration,  that  he  will  in  nothing  be  beneficial  to  his  neighbour,  his  pa- 
rent, &.C,  confirming  by  oath  the  cruelty  of  his  disposition,  says  Philo.  And  this 
by  them  was  called  Corban,  Mark  vii.  11,  and  Matt.  xv.  5,  a  gift.  What  is  thus 
passed  under  their  vow,  is,  say  they,  utterly  forbidden  or  unlawful,  which  being 
consecrated  must  not  be  touched,  or  employed  to  any  other  use.  So  that  the  plain 
meaning  of  the  place  is,  a  father  being  in  want  complains  to  his  son ;  the  son  an- 
swers that  he  hath  vowed  he  will  not,  and  therefore  it  is  ffnlawful  for  him  to  re- 
lieve his  father :  and  the  Pharisees  approved  of  this  practice,  that  he  may  thus 
avoid  his  duty  to  his  parents ;  and  though  quite  contrary  to  the  precept  of  honour- 
ing and  relieving  them,  yet  it  was  thought  obligatory  by  them  to  the  frustrating 
this  commandment. 

Vol.  11.  Q  q 


306  A  Complete  History 

judices  as  the  Pharisees  do,  and  that  prefer  their  own  ordr- 
nances  before  the  commands  of  God,  it  is  to  be  expected, 
that  telling  them  the  truth  will  not  please  them.  All  seed, 
but  that  which  is  of  my  Father,  and  which  is  radicated  in 
humility  and  piety,  shall  come  to  nothing ;  and  conse- 
quently so  nuist  all  faith  in  these  conceited  men;  and  there- 
fore it  is  not  strange  if  they  be  hurt  at  my  words,  and 
depart  from  them  upon  my  reproving  their  errors.  If  this 
bath  touched  and  discouraged  them,  let  them  go ;  they 
are  stupidly  and  perversely  ignorant  themselves  ;  they  take 
pleasure  in  being  called  doctors  and  instructors  of  the  ig- 
norant :  and  what  can  be  the  effect  of  this,  but  that  the 
leaders,  and  they  that  are  led  by  them,  shall  together  in- 
guiph  themselves  in  destruction  ?" 

After  this  he  thundered  out  woes  and  miseries  against 
their  impieties,  for  being  curious  of  times,  and  punctual 
in  rites  and  ceremonies,  but  at  the  same  time  most  negli- 
gent and  thoughtless  of  judgment,  and  the  love  of  God  ; 
upbraids  them  for  their  pride  and  hypocrisy,  for  imposing 
heavy  burdens  upon  others  which  themselves  helped  not 
to  support ;  for  taking  aw-ay  the  key  of  know  ledge  from  the 
people,  obstructing  the  passage  to  heaven,  and  approving 
the  acts,  of  their  fathers  in  persecuting  the  prophets.  But 
for  the  question  of  wasliings,  at  the  importunity  of  Peter 
he  explains  it  to  them,  shewing  that  all  pollution  is  from 
within,  from  the  corruption  of  the  heart,  such  as  impure 
thoughts,  unchaste  desires,  unholy  purposes,  immodest 
and  indecent  speech  :  these  are  the  things  that  leave  a 
lasting  stain  upon  the  soul,  and  defile  it ;  but  omitting  to 
wash  before  meat,  cannot  be  supposed  to  defile  a  man. 

From  hence  Jesus  departed  into  the  coasts  of  Tyre  and 
Sidon,  and  entered  into  an  house  with  design  to  conceal 
himself.  But  the  fiime  of  his  miracles  discovered  him 
wheresoever  he  \\ent ;  especially  in  cases  of  distress.  The 
diligence  of  a  mother's  love  and  sorrow  for  her  child  in 
torment  soon  found  him  out  in  his  retiren-icnt ;  for  a  Sv- 
rophcEuician  woman,  hearing  of  his  miraculous  power 
\\  hich  he  exercised  over  de\  ils  and  unclean  spirits,  and 
recognisting  his  dignit}',  thus  addresses  herself  to  him, 
"  Have  mercy  on  me,  O  Lord,  thou  Son  of  David,  m}- 
daughter  is  grievously  vexed  withadevil. "  Jesus,  at  first, 


of  the  Holy  Bible.  507 

received  her  \\\ih  apparent  colclncss  and  indifference  ;  but 
his  disciples,  to  be  rid  of  her  importunil}',  desired  him  to 
grant  her  request  and  dismiss  her.  Jesus  tells  them  he 
\\'as  sent  only  to  the  Jews,  to  bring  them  to  repentance, 
and  to  shew  his  miracles  among  them.  The  poor  woman 
impatient  of  delay,  continues  iicr  importunate  addresses  to 
him,  and  ])rosirating  herself  at  Jiis.  feet,  implores  his  help 
on  her  child.  Jesus  told  her,  "  It  was  not  meet*  to  work 
those  miracles  on  an  heathen,  which  were  destined  to 
God's  people  the  Jews.  The  afllicted  mother  finding  his 
discourse  tend  only  to  discomfort  and  reject  her  for  her 
nation's  sake,  renews  her  petition  :  humbly  acknowledg- 
ing the  truth  of  what  he  urged,  but  in  all  submission 
hoping  a  poor  distressed  heathen  might  be  admitted  to 
partake  of  the  mercies  promised  to  the  Jews.  She  desired 
but  one  instance  of  favour  on  her  daughter,  which  he  pour- 
ed forth  without  measure  upon  the  sons  and  daughters  of 
Israel.  Jesus  being  pleased  with  her  zeal  and  discretion, 
and  pitying  her  daughter's  infelicity,  dismisses  her  with 
this  applause  of  her  faith,  and  comfort  to  her  child,  "  O 
woman,  great  is  thy  faith,  be  it  unto  thee  as  thou  desirest !" 
and  her  daut'hter  was  made  whole  in  that  instant  of  time. 
The  joyful  mother  retires  with  infinite  pleasure  and  satis- 
faction, and  finds  her  daughter  perfectly  cured. 

Jesus,  after  the  perfoi  mance  of  this  miracle,  continued 
not  long  there,  but  returning  to  the  coast  of  Galilee 
through  the  midst  of  Decapolis,  they  present  unto  him  an 
unhappy  youth,  deprived  of  the  benefit  of  speech  and 
hearing.  Our  Saviour  surveying  this  object  with  pity, 
takes  him  asidef  from  the  gazing  crowd,  and,  in  a  more 


•  Meet.  Compare  this  explication  with  the  text  of  St.  Matt.  xv.  26,  27. 
Our  blessed  Lord  came  to  establish  a  kingdom  of  holiness  and  peace  in  the  hearts 
and  lives  of  all  his  followers,  but  the  Jews  had  long  before  rendered  many  of  the 
precepts  of  the  law  of  no  effect,  and  explained  away  the  rest  into  a  childish 
system  of  rites  and  ceremonies,  and  have  so  continued  to  act  down  to  the  pre- 
sent day. 

■j-  Aside.     The  fathers  differ  very  much  in  their  opinion  about  the  reason  of 

Christ's  taking  the  young  man  aside  ;  for  since  he  designed  to  work  a  miracle  on 

'him,  it  might  be  thought  expedient  to  do  it  in  pxiblic.     But  after  various  con- 


308  A  Complete  His  tori/  ' 

than  usually  solemn  posture  of  devotion,  fixing  his  eyes  on 
heaven,  where  the  Fatlier  of  light  dwelleth,  pronounced 
the  young  man  cured.  The  string  which  so  long  had 
held  his  tongue  was  broken,  and  the  organs  of  his  ears 
were  sensible  of  every  joyful  sound  upon  them.  Our 
Saviour  returning  him  to  his  glad  friends,  enjoins  them 
silence  ;   but  they   cannot  contain  their  joy  ;  and  joining  i; 

both  with  Jews  and  Gentiles  in  admiration  of  such  won-  ■ 

derful  acts,  acknowledge  that  none  but  the  God  of  Israel  " 

could  do  such  thins^s. 

Tiiese  miraculous  acts  of  his  echoed  through  all  places 
wherever  he  passed,  attracting  multitudes  of  diseased 
people,  who  apply  to  him  for  relief ;  which  none  fail  to 
receive,  for  he  healed  them  all.  The  people  could  not 
forbear  following  him ;  each  day  and  hour  furnishing 
them  witli  something  rare  and  strange,  insomuch  that  they 
followed  him  three  dayj?  successively,  and  at  last  had  no- 
thing of  sustenance  to  support  them  till  they  could  return 
to  their  own  homes.  Jesus  seeing  such  crowds  of  people 
fainting  about  h'lr.i,  in  pity  to  their  necessities  resolved  to 
feed  them  once  more  by  a  stupendous  miracle.  In  order 
thereunto  he  hrst  tried  the  apostles'  faith,  by  commanding 
them  to  provide  for  his  poor  and  hungrj^  guests.  They 
answered  in  surprise,  "  Whence  should  we  find  provision 
for  such  a  multiiude  in  so  barren  andinhosj:>itable  a  place  ?" 
However, he  demanded  an  account  of  their  scanty  store, 
which  they  producing,  amounted  to  no  more  than  seven 
loaves  and  a  few  small  fishes.  With  this  poor  pittance  of 
food  he  begins  the  banquet,  ordering  the  multitude  to  seat 
themselves  on  the  grassy  plain,  while  he  multiplied  this 
small  store  of  bread  and  fish  to  a  quantity  amply  sufficient 
to  supply  all  their  wants.     Then  taking  the  loaves  into  his 


jectures,  the  context  in  St.  Mark  vii.  36,  seems  most  clearly  to  explain  this  text 
in  the  o3d  verse,  of  "  taking  him  aside."  For  in  ver.  36,  our  Saviour  commands 
that  this  miracle  be  kept  secret ;  for  which  reason  he  may  be  supposed  to  do  it  in 
secret.  As  to  the  performance  of  this  and  many  other  miracles  in  secret,  the 
general  opinion  is,  that  our  Saviour  in  the  main  did  it  to  denote  his  humility ; 
that  he  performed  not  many  miracles  in  public  for  ostentation  sake,  but  for  the 
necessity  of  convincing  the  Jews,  as  well  as  healing  their  infirmities- 


of  the  Holy  Bible.  309 

.sncrcd  hands,  he  blessed  them,  and  pjivin^  to  his  disci- 
ples, bid  them  disiribuie  to  the  people  of  them  and  the 
lish,  which  they  did,  whilst  the  astonished  crowd  knew 
not  which  most  to  admire,  the  stratifying  their  hungry  ap- 
petites, or  v\  hat  so  astonished  their  senses.  But  the  whole 
lite  of  the  blessed  Jesus  was  a  continued  series  of  wonders, 
each  miraculous  hour  being  succeeded  by  another  :  for  no 
sooner  had  he  fed  and  satisfied  this  multitude,  that  consist- 
ed of  above  four  thousand,  but  the  seven  loaves  and  small 
fishes,  Avhich  one  small  basket  could  perhaps  contain,  did 
at  the  end  of  the  feast  when  all  the  guests  were  satisfied, 
prodnce  seven  baskets  full  of  frugmcnts. 

From  hence  Jesus  depaited  by  ship  to  the  coasts  of  Ma- 
gcddon  and  Dalmanulha,  whither  the  Pliarisees  and  Sad- 
diicees  came,  seeking  a  sign  of  him.  But  Jesus  rejected 
tiieir  captious  and  impertinent  demand,  knowing  they  did 
it  to  an  ill  purpose,  and  nith  disaffection ;  reproving 
ihcm  in  that  they  discerned  the  face  of  the  sky,  and  the 
prognostics  of  fair  or  foul  weather,  but  not  the  signs  of 
the  time  of  the  Son  of  man.  However,  since  they  hadne- 
glectedrso  great  demonstrations  of  miracles,  gracious  dis- 
courses, holy  laws  and  prophecies,  they  must  expect  no 
other  sign  but  the  sign  of  the  prophet  Jonas.  *  And  thus 
he  dismissed  these  impertinent  inquisitors. 

Jesus  again  taking  ship,  passed  over  the  lake,  and  by 
the  way,  as  his  disciples  were  solicitous  because  they  had 
forgotten  to  take  bread,  he  gave  them  a  caution  to  beware 
of  the  Piiarisees  and  Sadducees,  and  the  leaven  of  Herod  ; 
meaning  the  hypocrisy  and  vanities  of  the  one,  and  the  he- 
resv  of  the  other.  For  Herod's  leaven  was  an  absurd  no- 
tion  that  he  was  the  Messiah,  which  the  sect  of  the  Hero- 
dians  earnestly  and  maliciously  promoted.  But  the  disci- 
ples understanding  their  Lord  in  a  literal  sense,  about  ta- 
king care  to  bring  bread  with  them,  he  reproached  them 
with  ingratitude  and  forgetfulness,  in  their  distrust  of 
God's  providence,  and  his  care  of  them.  "  Why  should 
you  think,  said  he,  that  my  speech  should  relate  to  your 


*  yonas.  Meaning  the  resurrection  of  his  body  after  three  days'  burial :  for  as 
Jonas  was  three  days  and  three  nights  in  the  whale's  belly,  so  must  the  Son  of 
man  be  three  days  and  three  nights  in  the  bowels  of  the  earth. 


SIO  A  Camplete  History 

neglect  of  bringing  bread  with  you?  as  if  I  were  not  able 
to  supply  that  want.  Will  you  never  understand  nor  con- 
sider what  has  been  before  your  eyes  ?  Do  you  not  re- 
member the  two  miraculous  feasts  ?  the  one  of  feeding 
five  thousand  with  five  loaves,  the  other  of  four  thousand 
with  seven  loaves  ?  How  stupidly  inconsiderate  are  you 
to  forget  these  things  ?"  After  this  manner,  entertaining 
themselves  by  the  way,  they  came  together  to  Bethsaida, 
Avhere  Jesus  cured  a  blind  man ;  for  spitting  on  his  eyes 
and  putting  his  hands  upon  him,  it  was  to  the  poor  dark 
wretch  a  salutary  balsam,  when  his  divine  benediction  had 
once  consecrated  it. 

Our  blessed  Lord  soon  departed  thence  into  the  coasts  of 
Cassarea  Philippi,  out  of  Herod's  power,  (for  it  was  in 
Philip's  jurisdiction)  and  after  he  had  prayed  with  his 
disciples,  he  inquired  what  opinion  the  world  entertained 
of  him  ;  and  whom  *  they  thought  him  to  be.  They  an- 
swered, Some  say  thou  art  John  the  Baptist,  some  Elias, 
others  Jeremias,  or  one  of  the  prophets."  But  Jesus  asked 
the  apostles  their  own  opinion  ;  when  Peter,  in  the  name  of 
allf  the  rest,  made  an  open  and  confident  confession,  "  Thou 
art  the  CHRIST,  the  Son  of  the  living  God."  This  con- 
fession Jesus  not  only  confirmed  as  true,  but  as  revealed  by 
God ;  *'  Tiiis  faith  of  thine,  saith  Jesus  to  Peter,  is  not  built 


*  Whom.  In  Galilee  especially  the  sect  of  the  Pharisees  was  mightily  divided, 
whose  opinion  was,  That  the  souls  of  dead  men  according  to  their  several  merits 
did  transmigrate  into  other  bodies  of  very  perfect  and  excellent  persons.  And 
therefore  in  all  this  variety  none  hit  upon  the  right,  or  fancied  him  to  be  a  distinct 
person  from  the  ancients :  but  although  they  differed  in  the  assignation  of  his 
name,  yet  generally  they  agreed  it  was  the  soul  of  a  departed  prophet,  which  had 
passed  into  another  body. 

•(■  All.  When  our  blessed  Lord  put  the  question  to  his  disciples,  Matt.  xv.  16, 
concerning  himself,  who  he  was,  he  did  not  apply  himself  in  particular  to  Peter, 
for  he  there  says,  "  But  whom  say jf  that  I  am  ?"  Upon  which  Peter,  as  the  eldest 
apostle,  answers  in  the  name  of  the  rest,  <'  Thou  art  Christ,  &c."  and  consequent- 
ly the  reply  of  our  Saviour,  and  the  blessing  subsequent  thereupon,  was  not  only 
applicable  or  pronounced  singly  to  Peter,  but  to  the  rest  of  the  twelve  ;  and  ilie 
power  of  binding  and  loosing  was  not  only  given  by  him  to  Peter,  as  the  Roman- 
ists fondly  presume,  but  also  to  all  the  rest.  This  is  plain  from  Matt,  xviii.  18, 
where  our  Saviour  in  general  says,  "  Whatsoever  je  shall  bind  on  earth,  shall  be 
bound  in  heaven,  &c."    Not  whatsoever  thou  shalt  bind,  &c. 


of  the  Holy  Bible.  311 

upon 'h  inn  an  Icstlinony,  but  upon  the  miracles  and  doc- 
trines w  liieh  thou  hast  seen  and  heard,  which  arc  the  testi- 
monies of  God  himsell',  wliereby  he  iiath  revealed  mc  to 
thee."  And  immediately  after  tiie  blessing  of  Peter's  per- 
son, with  an  allusion  to  his  name,  which  signifies  a  "  stone," 
Je.^us  said,  "  Thou  art  Peter,  and  upon  this  rock  (the  article 
of  Peter's  confession)  I  will  build  my  church;"  promising 
assistances  even  to  all  ages,  insomuch  that  the  gates  of  hell, 
that  is,  persecution,  death,  and  the  gra\e,  should  never  ])re- 
vail  against  it ;  adding  withal,  a  promise  to  Peter,  in  behalf 
of  all  the  rest,  as  he  made  confession  for  and  in  the  name 
of  them  all,  that  he  would  give  to  him  the  keys  *  of  the 
kingdom  of  heaven,  so  that  whatsoever  he  should  bind  on 
earth  should  be  bound  in  heaven. 

The  disciples,  thus  knowing  and  acknowledging  him 
to  be  the  Messiah,  and  himself  having  confirmed  it  so  to 
them,  he  commanded  them  not  to  publish  it  till  after  his 
resurrection,  at  which  time  in  his  wisdom  he  thought  it 
most  seasonable.  And  now  the  days  from  hence  forward 
to  the  death  of  Jesus,  we  must  reckon  to  be  like  vigils  or 
eves  of  his  passion  :  for  now  he  began  and  often  did  re- 
peat those  predictions  of  the  barbarous  usage  he  should 
shortly  receive  from  the  Jewish  Sanhedrim ;  that  he 
should  be  rejected  of  the  elders  and  chief  Priests  and 
Scribes,  and  suffer  many  things  at  Jerusalem,  and  be 
killed  and  raised  up  the  third  day.  Peter,  hearing  this 
discourse,  so  contrary  to  his  hopes,  which  built  too  much 
upon  temporal  expectances,  (for  he  had  hitherto  only 
learnt  the  doctrine  of  Christ's  coming,  but  not  the  mys- 
tery of  the  cross)  in  great  but  mistaken  zeal,  took  Jesus 
aside  and  began  to  rebuke  him,  saying,  "  Be  it  far  from 
thee,  ijord,  this  shall  not  bcfai  thee. "  But  Jesus  not  ap- 
proving of  such  an  admonition,  that  savoured  not  of  God, 
but  the  world,  reproved  Peter  severely ;  saying,  "  Get 
thee   behind   me    Satan, f  thou  art  an   offence   to    me  ;  a 


*  Keys.  The  doctrine  and  discipline  of  the  Christian  church  may  be  intended 
by  these  keys,  as  these  express  the  mind  of  Christ  concerning  the  state  of  men's 
souls. 

f  Satan.  The  word  Satan  here  signifies  according  to  the  use  of  the  Hebrew 
phrase,  2  Sam.  xi.\.  22,  where  David  rejecting  the  counsel  of  Abishai,  saith, 


% 


312  A  Complete  Kistory 

snare,  moving  me  to  that  which  were  a  sin,  if  I '^oiilcl 
yield  to  it,  and  contrary  to  the  will  and  command  of 
God  my  Father."  And  calling  his  disciples  to  him,  he 
told  them  the  second  part  of  a  sad  doctrine,  which  not 
only  himself  but  they  also  must  suffer.  For  when  he  the 
head  was  to  be  crowned  M'ith  thorns,  it  would  be  a  great 
indecency  for  them  the  members  to  be  indulged  in  soft- 
ness. And  therefore  to  prepare  them  for  what  would  here- 
after happen  to  him  and  ihcm,  he  tells  them  ;  that  whoever 
will  be  his  disciple,  must  deny  himself,  take  up  his  cross, 
forego  his  appetites,  and  trace  his  master's  footsteps,  mark- 
ed out  with  his  blood  that  he  shed  for  their  redemption. 
And*  to  let  them  fardier  see  that  there  was  no  escaping  from 
the  participation  of  Christ's  sufferings,  he  adds  this,  "  He 
that  will  save  his  life  shall  lose  it,  and  he  that  will  lose  it 
shall  save  it  to  eternity."  Which  part  soever  we  choose, 
there  is  a  life  to  be  lost  :  but  as  the  first  are  foolish  to  the 
extremest  misery,  that  v^ill  lose  their  souls  to  gain  the 
world,  so  they  are  most  wise  and  fortunate,  that  ^^'ill  give 
their  lives  for  him,  because,  when  the  Son  of  man  shall  come 
in  his  glory,  and  in  the  glory  oi  his  Father,  and  of  his  angels, 
he  shall  reward  every  man  according  to  his  works.  This 
discourse  Jesus  concluded  with  a  prophecy,  thi^t  some* 
standing  there  should  not  die  till  they  saw  the  Son  of  man 
coming  in  his  kingdom. 

About   six  days,  if  we  reckon  exclusively,  and  about 
eight  days,  if  we  reckon  inclusively,  after  our  Lord  had 


"  Why  art  thou  to  me  this  day,  in  Satanam,  for  an  adversary  ?"  That  is,  Why 
dost  thou  give  me  this  evil  and  pemicious  counsel,  and  so  suppliest  the  real  ene- 
my's, or  even  the  devil's  place  to  me  ? 

•  Some.  This  was  meant  of  St.  John,  that  he  should  r,o'  die,  till  that  remark- 
able comingof  Christ  in  judgment  upon  hiscriicifiers,  the  visible  destruction  of  the 
Jewish  state.  And  that  we  find  was  fulfilled  in  St.  John's  seeing  the  destruction 
of  the  Jews,  which  was  to  fall  out  in  that  generation,  Matt.  xxiv.  that  is,  in  the 
life-time  of  some  there  present,  and  is  called  the  "  Kingdom  of  God,^and  the  com- 
ing of  Christ,"  and  by  consequence  here  most  probably  the  "  Son  of  man's  com- 
ing in  his  kingdom,"  that  is,  his  coming  iu  the  exerc^ise  of  his  kingly  office,  to  take 
vengeance  on  his  enemies,  and  to  discriminate  the  faithful  believers  from  them  ; 
\vhich  was  as  literally  fulfilled  as  it  had  been  positively  foretold. 


of  the  Holy  B'thle.  3 1 3 

accepted  the  title  of  Messhih,  happening  to  be  with  his 
tlisciples  and  the  multitude  in  the  county  of  Cces.irea  Phi- 
iippi,  he  left  them  in  the  pl:iin,  and  went  up  mto  an  ex- 
ceeding high  mountain,  with  Peter  the  most  zealous,  James 
the  most  active,  and  John  the  most  beloved  disciple.*  In 
this  solitude,  while  Jesus  was  praying  uith  the  three,  he 
was  transfigured,  Luke  ix.  28.  "  And  it  came  to  pass, 
about  eight  days  after  these  sayings,  he  took  Peter,  and 
Joh.n,  and  James,  and  went  up  into  a  mountain  to  pray  ; 
and  as  he  prayed,  the  fashion  of  his  countenance  was  al- 
tered, and  his  raiment  was  white  and  glistering.  Matthew 
says,  xvii.  2,  "  he  was  transfigured!  before  them,  and  his 
face  did  shine  as  the  sun,  and  his  raiment  was  white  as  the 
light.  In  the  transfiguration,  the  face  of  Jesus  became 
radiant  and  dazzling,  for  it  shone  like  the  sun  in  its  un- 
clouded meridian  brightness,  and  so  was  incomparably  more 
glorious  than  the  face  of  Moses  at  the  giving  of  the  law. 
At  the  same  time  his  garments  acquired  a  snowy  whiteness, 
far  beyond  any  thing  that  human  art  could  produce,  a 
whiteness,  bright  as  light,  and  sweetly  refulgent,  but  in  a 
dea:ree  inferior  to  the  radiancy  of  his  countenance.  Thus 
for  a  little  while,  during  his  state  of  humiliation,  the  Son 
of  God  permitted  the  glory  of  his  divinity  to  break  forth, 
as  it  were,  and  shine  through  the  veil  of  his  human  nature 
with  which  it  was  covered. — Moreover  to  heighten  the 
grandeur  and  solemnity  of  the  scene,  Moses,  the  great  law- 
giver of  the  Jews,  and  Elijah,  who  had  been  a  most  zea- 
lous defender  of  the  law,  appeared  in  the  beauties  of  im- 
mortality, wherewith  the  blest  above  are  adorned.  "  And 
behold  there  talked  with  Jesus  two  men,  which  were 
Moses  and  Elias.  Who  appeared  in  glory,  and  spake  of 
his  decease,  which  he  should  accomplish  at  Jerusalem. 
But  Peter,  and  they  that  were  with  him,  were  heavy  with 


•  Disciplt.     M'Knight's  Harmony. 

-j-  Transfigured.  The  Greek  word  used  in  Matthew,  implies  either  that  there  was 
a  transformation  made  in  the  substance  of  his  body,  according  to  the  import  of  the 
word  in  Ovid,  and  other  writers.  See  Philip,  iii.  21.  Or  that  the  outward  appear- 
ance only  of  his  body  was  altered,  as  seems  most  probable,  from  the  manner  ip 
which  Luke  has  expressed  it. 

Vol.  II.  R  r 


314  ^i  Complete  History 

bleep  :  and  when  tliey  were  awake,  they  saw  his  glory,, 
and  the  two  men  that  stood  with  him,"  Luke  ix.  30,  31, 
32.  It  seems  the  three  disciples  were  so  unfortuncite  as 
not  to  see  the  transfiguration  begin:  for  happening  to 
fall  asleep  at  the  time  of  prayer,  they  lost  that  pleasure,  to- 
gether with  a  great  part  of  the  conversation  which  the  wi- 
sest lawgiver,  and  most  zealous  prophet  that  ever  lived, 
had  with  the  only  begotten  Son  of  God,  during  his  resi- 
dence on  earth.  In  general,  however,  they  heard  as  m,uch 
iis  made  them  understand,  that  the  subject  they  talked  of 
was  his  meritorious  sufierings  and  death,  by  which  he 
was  to  redeem  the  world,  a  subject  that  had  given  great 
ofi'ence  to  the  dis'ciples,  and  above  all  to  Peter,  a  few  days 
before  this.  Probably  the  streams  of  light  which  issued 
from  Christ^s  body,  especially  his  countenance,  and  the 
voices  of  Moses  and  Elias  talking  with  him,  made  such 
an  impression  on  the  senses  of  the  disciples,  though  buri- 
ed in  sleep,  that  they  awaked.  Lifting  up  their  eyes  there- 
fore, the  three  must  have  been  amazed  beyond  measure, 
when  they  beheld  their  master  in  the  majesty  of  his  trans- 
figured state,  and  his  illustrious  attendants,  whom  they 
might  know  to  be  Moses  and  Elias,  by  revelation,  or  by 
■what  they  said,  or  by  the  appellations  which  Jesus  gave 
them  in  speaking  to  them.  Peter  particularlvy  being  both 
afraid  and  glad  at  the  glorious  sight,  was  in  the  utmost 
confusion.  Nevertheless,  the  forwardness  of  his  disposi- 
tion prompting  him  to  say  something,  he  spoke,  not  know- 
ing well  what  he  said.  "  And  Peter  answered  and  said 
to  Jesus,  Master,  it  is  good  for  us  to  be  here,  and  let  us 
make  three  tabernacles,  one  for  thee,  and  one  for  Moses, 
and  one  for  Elias.  For  he  wist  not  what  to  say,  for  they 
were  sore  afraid,  Mark  ix.  5,  6.  The  apostles,  both  be- 
fore and  after  the  transfiguration,  were  with  their  master 
in  man}'  delightful  spots  of  the  country,  heard  many  ra- 
vishing sermons,  and  saw  many  wonderful  miracles  ;  but 
in  no  place,  and  on  no  occasion  but  this,  were  they  ever 
heard  to  say,  "  It  is  good  for  us  to  be  here."  Peter  fan- 
cied, no  doubt,  that  Jesus  had  now  assumed  his  proper 
dignity,  that  Elias  was  come  according  to  Malachi's  pre- 
diction, and  that  the  kingdom  was  at  length  begun. 
Wherefore  he  proposed  to  provide  some  accommodatiop 


of  the  Hoi i;  Bible.  315 

for  Jesus  and  his  august  assistants,  intendinu;  perhaps  to 
briiij^  the  rest  of  the  diseiples,  with  the  multitude  liom  the 
plain  below,  to  behold  his  niatcliless  glory.  He  thoLiy;ht 
this  was  better  for  his  master  than  to  be  killed  at  Jerusa- 
lem, concerninj^  which,  Jesus  had  been  talkin;^  with  the 
messengers  from  heaven,  and  the  design  of  which,  Peter 
could  not  comprehend.  "  While  he  yet  spake,  behold 
a  bright  cloud*  overshadowed  them  :  and  behold,  a  Aoice 
out  of  the  cloud,  which  said,  This  is  my  beloved  Son, 
in  whom  I  am  well  pleased  ;  hear  ye  him,"  Matt.  xvii.  5. 
The  voice  uttering  these  words,  just  as  Moses  and  Elias 
disappeared,  intimated,  that  men  were  no  longer  to  iiear- 
ken  unto  them  speaking  in  the  law,  but  for  the  future 
were  to  obey  Jesus ;  because  Moses  and  Elias,  though 
both  eminent  in  their  stations,  were  only  servants,  where- 
as tliis  was  God's  beloved  Son.  Besides,  the  thing  utter- 
ed by  the  voice,  "  Hear  ye  him,"  plainly  alluding  to 
Deut.  xviii.  15,  signified,  that  Jesus  was  the  prophet  of 
whom  Moses  spake  in  that  passage  :  "  The  Lord  thy  God 
will  raise  up  unto  thee  a  prophet  from  the  midst  of  thee, 


*  Cloud.  This  cloud  which  overshadowed  Moses  and  Elias,  is  called  by  the 
apostle  Peter,  who  beheld  it,  "  the  excellent  glory."  2  Pet.  i.  17.  Wherefore  it 
must  have  been  the  schechinah,  or  visible  symbol  of  the  divine  presence,  as  is  evi- 
dent likewise  from  the  words  that  came  out  of  the  cloud,  which  were  the  words 
of  God  himself.  •'  This  is  my  beloved  Son,  in  whom  I  am  well  pleased,  hear  ye 
him." 

The  transfiguration  was  intended  for  several  important  purposes.  About  six 
days  before  it  happened,  Jesus  had  predicted  his  own  sufferings  and  death.  At 
the  same  time,  to  prevent  his  disciples  from  being  dejected  by  the  melancholy  pros- 
pect, as  well  as  from  falling  into  despair  when  the  dismal  scene  should  open,  he 
told  them,  that  though  in  appearance  he  was  nothing  but  a  man,  and  affliction  was 
generally  to  be  the  lot  of  his  disciples,  he  would  come  hereafter  in  great  glory  as 
universal  Judge,  and  render  unto  every  man  according  to  his  deeds.  Matt.  xvi.  27, 
28.  And  for  proof  of  this,  he  declared  that  some  of  themselves  should  not  taste  of 
death  till  they  saw  him  coming  in  his  kingdom,  saw  a  lively  representation  of  the 
glory  which  he  spake  of,  and  were  witnesses  to  an  exercise  of  his  power,  a?  Judge  ; 
he  meant  on  his  enemies  the  unbelieving  Jews,  who  were  to  be  punished  by  hin^ 
with  the  most  terrible  destruction  tt at  ever  befel  any  nation.  See  M'Knigbi's  Har- 
mony. 


316  j1  Complete  History 

of  thy  brethren,  like  unto  me,  unto  him  ye  shall  hearken/'. 
I)eut.  xviii.  15.  When  the  three  disciples  heard  the  voice 
coming  from  the  cloud,  loud  as  thunder  (see  John  xii. 
29,)  and  full  of  divine  majesty,  such  as  mortal  ears  were 
unaccustomed  to  hear,  they  fell  flat  to  the  ground  on  their 
faces,  being  in  a  great  panic  ;  an  effect  which  visions  of 
this  kind  commonly  produced  on  the  prophets  and  other 
holy  men  to  whom  they  were  given.  Gen.  xv.  12.  Isa. 
vi.  5.  Ezek.  ii.  1.  Dan.  x.  8.  Rev.  i.  17.  It  seems,  hu- 
inan  nature  could  not  well  support  such  manifestations  of 
the  divine  presence.  In  this  condition  the  disciples  con- 
tinued till  Jesus  approached,  and  raising  them  up,  disf)ell- 
ed  their  fears.  "  And  when  the  disciples  heard  it,  they 
fell  on  their  face,  and  were  sore  afraid.  And  Jesus  came 
and  touched  them,  and  said.  Arise,  and  be  not  afraid. 
And  when  they  had  lifted  up  their  eyes,  they  saw  no  man 
save  Jesus  only,"  Matt.  xvii.  6,  7,  8. 

Jesus  and  the  disciples  having  been  in  the  mountain  all 
night,  (See  Luke  ix.  37.)  the  transfiguration  may  be  sup- 
posed to  have  happened  either  in  the  day-time,  or  in  the 
night.  That  it  happened  in  the  night-time  is  probable 
from  the  disciples  faUing  asleep  while  Jesus  prayed,  a  cir- 
cumstance which  could  not  happen  by  day  to  all  the  three 
at  once,  and  in  the  open  air.  Next  morning,  as  the)'- 
were  coming  down  from  the  mountain,  Jesus  charged  the 
apostles  to  conceal  what  they  had  seen,  till  he  should  arise 
from  the  dead.  "  And  as  they  came  down  from  the  moun- 
tain, Jesus  charged  them,  saying.  Tell  the  vision  to  no 
man  until  the  Son  of  man  be  risen  arrain  from  the  dead," 
Matt.  xvii.  9.  He  knew  that  the  world,  and  even  his  own 
disciples,  were  not  yet  capable  of  comprehending  the  de- 
sign of  his  transfiguration,  and  that  if  it  had  been  published 
before  his  resurrection,  it  might  have  appeared  incredible, 
because  hitherto  nothing  but  afflictions  and  persecutions 
had  attended  him.  The  disciples  had  never  heard  from  the 
doctors  that  the  Messiah  was  to  die,  far  less  that  he  was  to 
be  raised  from  the  dead.  On  the  contrary,  they  thought 
he  was  to  abide  for  ever,  (John  xii.  34,)  and  that  there  was 
to  be  no  end  of  his  kingdom.  Wherefore  they  \yere  ut- 
terly at  a  loss  to  understand  what  their  master  meant, 
when  he  spoke  of  his  rising  again  from  the  dead  ;  and 


of  the  Holy  Bible.  317 

being  afraid  to  ask  a  particular  explication  of  the  matter, 
thev  disputed  much  among  themselves  about  it  to  no  pur- 
pose. "  And  they  kept  that  saying  with  themselves, 
questioning  or  debating  one  with  another,  what  the  rising 
Irom  the  dead  should  mean,"  Mark  ix.  10.  Being  also 
much  surprised  at  the  sudden  departure  of  Elias,  they 
turned  to  Jesus,  and  proposed  this  doubt :  Since  Elias 
has  gone  away  so  soon,  how  came  the  Scribes  to  affirm 
that  he  must  appear  before  the  Messiah  erects  his  empire? 
"  And  the}-  asked  him  saying.  Why  say  the  Scribes  that 
Elias  must  fust  come '?"  Mark  xi.  supposing,  that  Elias 
was  to  have  an  active  hand  in  modelling  and  settling  the 
kingdom,  they  never  doubted  that  he  would  have  continu- 
ed a  while  on  earth.  "  And  Jesus  answered  and  said  unto 
them,  Elias  truly  shall  first  come,  and  restore  all  things," 
Matt.  xvii.  11.  Jesus  not  only  acknowledged  the  neces- 
sity of  Elijah's  coming  before  the  Messiah,  according  to 
Malachi's  prediction,  but  he  assured  his  disciples  that  he 
was  already  come,  and  described  the  treatment  he  had 
met  widi  from  ilic  nation,  in  such  a  manner  as  to  make 
them  understand  that  he  spake  of  John  Baptist.  At  the 
same  time  he  told  them,  that  though  the  Baptist's  minis- 
try was  excellently  calculated  for  producing  all  the  effects 
ascribed  to  it  by  the  prophets,  they  needed  not  be  surpri- 
sed to  find  that  it  had  not  been  crowned  with  all  the  suc- 
cess which  might  have  been  expected,  and  that  the  Baptist 
had  met  with  much  opposition  and  persecution.  For, 
said  he,  both  the  person,  and  the  preaching  of  the  Mes- . 
siah  himself,  shall  meet  with  the  same  treatment.  "  But 
I  say  unto  you,  that  Elias  is  come  already,  and  they  knew 
him  not,  but  have  done  unto  him  whatsoever  they  listed, 
likewise  shall  also  the  Son  of  man  sufier  of  them.  Then 
the  disciples  understood  that  he  spake  unto  them  of  John 
the  Baptist,"  Matt.  xvii.  12,  13. 

After  these  things,  Jesus  came  to  Gapernaum,  the 
place  of  his  ordinary  residence.  But  he  was  no  sooner 
arrived,  than  the  receivers  of  the  tax  called  Didrachma, 
a  sum  equal  to  half  a  shekel,  or  fifteen  pence  of  our  mo- 
ney, came  to  Peter,  and  asked  him,  whether  his  master 
would  pay  that  tribute.  They  demanded  the  tribute  for 
Jesus  from  Peter,  either  because  the  house  in  which  Je- 


318  A  Complete  History 

sus  lived  was  his,  or  because  they  observed  him  to  be  of 
a  more  forward  disposition  than  the  rest.  Peter  told  the 
collectors  that  his  master  would  pay  the  tribute;  and 
consequently  made  a  sort  of  promise  to  procure  it  for 
them.  Yet  when  he  considered  the  matter  more  mature- 
ly, he  was  afraid  to  speak  to  the  Messiah  concerning  his 
paying  taxes  on  any  pretence  whatsoever.  In  the  mean 
time,  Jesus  knowing  both  what  had  happened,  and  what 
Peter  was  thinking,  prevented  him,  saying,  "  What 
thinkest  thou  Simon  ?  of  whom  do  the  kings  of  the  earth 
take  custom  or  tribute  :  of  their  own  children,  or  of 
strangers  ?  Peter  saith  unto  him,  of  strangers.  Jesus  saith 
unto  him,  then  £ire  the  children  free;"  Matt.  xvii.  25, 
26,  insinuating  that,  because  he  was  himself  the  Son  of 
the  great  King,  to  whom  heaven,  earth,  and  sea,  with 
all  thitigs  in  them  belong,  he  was  not  obligx^^d  to  pay  tri- 
bute, as  holding  any  thing  by  a  derived  light  from  any 
king  v/hatever.  Or  if,  as  is  more  probable,  the  contri- 
bution was  made  for  the  service  and  reparation  of  the 
temple,  his  meaning  was,  that  being  the  Son  of  him  to 
Avhom  the  tribute  was  paid,  he  could  justly  have  excused 
himscif.  Neverdieless,  that  he  might  not  give  offence, 
he  sent  Peter  to  the  lake,  with  a  line  and  a  hook,  telling 
him,  that  in  the  mouth  of  the  first  fish  that  came  up,  he 
should  find  a  piece  of  money  equal  in  value  to  the  sum  re- 
quired for  them  two. 

On  a  former  occasion,  Simon  Peter  had  gotten  his  par- 
ticular dignity  secured  to  him  ;  Jesus  having  promised 
him  the  keys  of  the  kingdom,  by  which  without  doubt 
they  all  understood  the  place  of  high  steward.  Probably 
therefore  he  vvas  not  engaged  in  this  debate.  But  James 
and  John,  the  sons  of  Zehedee,  might  be  principally  con- 
ceiTied  in  it,  contending  with  our  Lord's  blood  relations, 
James  the  less,  and  Judas  sirnamed  Thaddeus,  and  Simon 
Zelolcs,  wiio  doubtless  thought  their  consanguinity  to 
Christ,  entitled  them  to  the  most  honourable  and  pro- 
fitable offices  in  his  kingdom,  next  to  Peter.  Whereas 
the  sons  of  Zebedee  claimed  them,  on  account  of  their 
intimacy  with  Jesus,  and  the  qualifications  for  which 
they  v»ere  named  "  Sons  of  thunder."  Accordingly  we 
find  the  two  brothers  afterwards  asking  the  l'a^•our  of  the 


of  the  IIolij  Bihk:  31? 

chief  posts  from  Christ  himself.  This  discourse  there- 
fore concerning  huniility,  would  be  considered  by  Ze- 
bedee's  sons  as  particularly  designed  for  them,  which 
probably  was  the  reason  that  John,  desiring  to  divert  it, 
told  his  master,  they  had  seen  one  casting  out  devils  in 
his  name,  and  had  forbidden  him,  because  he  did  not 
follow  with  them.  "  And  John  answered  and  said,  Mas- 
ter, we  saw  one  casting  out  devils^  in  thy  name,  and 
we  forbade  him,  because  he  followeth  not  with  us,"  Luke 
ix.  49.  "  But  Jesus  said.  Forbid  him  not,  for  there 
is  no  man  which  shall  do  a  miracle  in  my  name,  that  can 
lightly  speak  evil  of  me,"  Mark  ix.  39.  Be  the  person 
who  he  \\ili,  he  must  have  an  high  notion  of  my  power, 
since  he  sees  the  devils  go  out  at  mentioning  my  name. 
Besides,  "  He  that  is  not  against  us  is  on  our  part:" 
Alark  ix.  40,  you  should  consider,  that  in  the  present 
circumstances,  every  one  who  docs  not  oppose  and  perse- 
cute us,  is  a  friend  ;  and  that  the  ejection  of  demons  in 
my  name,  will  advance  my  reputation  and  promote  my 
interest,  although  those  who  cast  them  out  should  have 
no  intention  to  do  either,  nay  though  the  devils  which 
are  cast  out  should  intend  the  contrary.  Farther,  to  shew 
the  apostles  that  they  had  been  in  the  wrong  to  forbid 
this  person,  who  must  have  entertained  a  great  veneration 


*  Devils.  The  doctors  Whitby  and  Clarke  are  of  opinion,  that  this  was  one 
of  the  Baptist's  disciples,  who,  though  he  did  not  follow  Christ  with  the  rest, 
had  been  taught  by  his  master  to  acknowledge  him  as  the  Messiah,  and  entertain- 
ed so  great  a  veneration  for  him,  that  he  attempted  to  cast  out  devils  in  his  name. 
Or  if  the  character  given  of  this  person,  "  He  followeth  not  with  us,"  and  the 
apostles  prohibited,  "  We  forbade  him,"  are  thought  inconsistent  v»-ith  the  opini- 
on of  the  doctors  mentioned,  we  may  suppose  that  he  was  an  exorcist  like  the 
seven  sons  of  Sceva,  (Acts  xix.  13.)  who  having  seen  the  miracles  which  the  apos- 
tles had  performed  in  their  master's  name  while  out  on  their  first  mission,  thought 
there  might  be  some  great  occult  virtue  in  it,  and  somade  use  of  it  in  his  exorcisms 
as  Sceva's  sons  did  in  theirs,  but  with  better  success;  God  permitting  him  to  cast 
out  devils  m  Christ's  name,  to  clothe  his  Son  with  the  greater  honour.  Or  the 
devils  may  have  obeyed  the  commands  of  persons,  who  without  Christ's  commis- 
sion made  use  of  his  name,  out  of  malice  to  him,  and  in  hopes  of  bringing  re- 
proach on  him  through  their  misconduct.  Nor  is  Christ's  answer  to  John,  ver. 
39,  inconsistent  with  these  suppositions  ^ 


320  A  Complete  History 

for  their  master,  and  was  in  a  fair  way  to  become  his  fol- 
lower, he  told  them  that  the  lowest  degree  of  respect  which 
any  one  shewed  him,  though  it  were  but  the  giving  a  cup 
of  cold  water  to  his  thirsty  disciple,  is  acceptable  to  him, 
and  shall  not  lose  his  reward.  "  For  whosoever  shall  give 
you  a  cup  of  water  to  drink  in  my  name,  because  ye  belong 
to  Christ,  verily  I  say  unto  you,  he  shall  not  lose  his  re- 
ward," Mark  ix.  41.  Whereas,  on  the  other  hand,  the 
least  discouragement  of  his  servants  in  dieir  duty,  come 
from  what  quarter  it  will,  shall  be  severely  punished. 
"  And  whosoever  shall  offend  one  of  these  little  ones,  that 
believe  in  me,  or  tempt  them  to  sin,  it  is  better  for  him 
that  a  mill-stone  were  hanged  about  his  neck,  and  he  were 
cast  into  the  sea,"  Mark  ix.  42.*  Hence  he  inferred, 
that  it  is  better  to  deny  one's  self  the  greatest  earthly  satis- 
factions, and  to  part  with  every  thing  most  precious,  re- 
presented by  the  figures  of  an  hand,  a  foot,  or  an  eye,  than 
by  these  things  to  cause  the  weakest  of  his  friends  to  stum- 
ble, as  some  of  the  disciples  had  lately  done.  The  ampu- 
tation of  our  hands  and  feet,  and  the  plucking  out  of  our 
ejes  when  they  cause  us  to  offend,  import  also  that  we 
should  deny  ourselves  such  use  of  our  senses  and  mem- 
bers as  may  lead  us  into  sin. 

About  this  time  the  feast  of  tabernacles  drawing  near, 
the  blessed  Jesus  was  very  much  importuned  by  his  kin- 
dred to  go  to  Judea  to  the  feast,  that  the  multitudes  which 
followed  him  might  again  see  the  miracles  which  he  did  ; 
for  they  thought  he  acquired  no  fame  by  performing  his 
miracles  privately.  But  these  things  were  urged  by  them 
through  want  of  faith.  However,  Jesus,  to  set  them  right, 
tells  them,  that  it  was  not  yet  proper  for  him  to  be  so  pub- 
lic, becuse  the  doctrine  that  he  taught  was  odious  to  the 
world  ;  for  at  that  time  the  Jews  sought  to  kill  him.     He 


*  He  threatens  those  that  offend  his  little  ones,  that  whosoever  shall  grieve  any 
true  Christians,  though  they  be  of  the  weakest,  shall  oppose  their  entrance  into 
the  ways  of  God,  or  discourage  and  obstruct  their  progress  in  those  ways,  shall 
either  restrain  them  from  doing  good,  or  draw  them  in  to  commit  sin,  his  punish- 
TTient  will  be  very  great,  and  the  death  and  ruin  of  his  soul  more  terrible  than  such 
a  death  and  ruin  of  his  body  would  be.  See   Matt,  xviii.  6.       Matthevi  Henry. 


of  the  Holy  Bible.  r,21 

told  ihcm,  they  might  appear  where  they  would,  being  not 
exposed  to  such  haired  *  as  he  \\as  from  the  Pharisees  and 
S.iddiicees. 

Upon  this  conference,  his  disciples  went  np  to  the 
feast,  to  which  Jesus  designing  to  go  in  private,  as  lie 
passed  through  Samaria,  he  found  the  inliabitants  of  a 
little  village  so  inhospitable, f  as  to  refuse  to  give  him 
entertainment;  which  so  provoked  the  intemperate  zeal 
of  James  and  John,  that  they  fain  would  ha\e  called  for 
fire  to  consume  them,  even  as  Ellas  did.  But  Jesus,  with 
a  sweetness  natural  to  him,  mildly  restrained  their  re- 
vengeful heat,  telling  them  they  were  cjuite  mistaken  in 
the  economy  and  conduct  of  the  chiistian  spirit,  which 
he  had  prescribed,  and  which  diflered  much  from  that  of  a 
prophet  in  the  Old  Testament,  moved  by  zeal  against  the 
enemies  of  God  :  "  The  course,"  said  he,  "  which  in 
such  cases  you  must  take  is  that  of  meekness  and  persua- 
sion, and  not  rashly  and  indiscreetly  upon  every  little  um- 
brage, or  displeasure,  Invoke  the  vengeance  of  heaven  to 
destroy  a  man,  whose  redemption  was  to  cost  the  effusion 
of  their  Saviour's  blood.  I  came  not  to  kill  any,  but  to 
preserve  and  rescue  from  death,  and  from  all  that  is  evil." 
All  the  revenge  that  Jesus  took,  was  quietly  to  leave  the 


•-  Hatred.  The  text  here  implied  in  John  vii,  7,  is  translated  thus  ;  "  The  worl4 
cannot  hate  you,  but  me  it  hateth."  This  translation  is  literal  indeed;  but  all  or 
most  interpreters  fail  not  to  observe,  that  this  expression  does  not  always  denote  an 
absolute  impossibility  to  do  any  thing,  but  only  a  design  or  will  not  to  do  it,  upon 
the  account  of  some  difficulty  or  uneasiness  it  may  be  attended  with  ;  and  this  they 
prove  from  several  unquestionable  examples.  It  is  said,  "  That  God  could  not  do 
any  thingto  Sodom  till  Lot  had  left  it,"  Gen.  xix.  22.  "  That  Joseph's  brethren 
could  not  speak  peaceably  unto  him.  Gen.  xxxvii.4.  "  That  the  unkind  friend 
could  not  rise  to  lend  his  friend  three  loaves ;"  Luke  xi.  7,  with  several  others.  But 
it  is  certain,  that  God,  if  he  had  pleased,  could  have  destroyed  Sodom  indepen- 
demly  ofLot;  that  Joseph's  brethren  could  have  spoken  peaceably  to  him,  &c. 
Therefore  all  this  impotency,  implied  in  the  word  "cannot,"  is  to  be  attributed  to 
the  want<)f  will :  and  since  people  are  so  ready  to  take  these  places  laterally,  it  is 
proper  they  should  be  rendered,  "  They  would  not,"  and  not,  «'  They  cannot." 

f  Inhospitable.    See  Luke  i.x.  51,  andxvii.  11. 

Voi.  11.  S  s 


•322  A  Complete  IJistori/ 

place  :  but  to  demonstrate  more  plainly  to  tliose  disciples,- 
whose  mistaken  conduct  he  had  blamed,  how  they  ought, 
to  behave  themselves  upon  such  occasions,  by  a  miracle 
he  shews  them  that  they  must  recompense  evil  with  good. 
And  immediately  ten  leprous  persons,  who  came  out  of 
the  neighbourhood  where  he  had  been  so  inhospitably  treat- 
ed, presented  themselves  with  loud  exclamations  for  help, 
**  Jesus  !  master  !  have  mercy  upon  us."  His  compas- 
sion was  as  ready  to  relieve,  as  their  necessity  to  ask  ;  for 
at  sight  he  pronounced  the  method  of  their  cure  :  "  Go 
shew  yourselves  to  the  priest,  as  the  law  requires,  and 
before  you  come  thither,  you  shall  be  healed  :"  which  ac- 
cordingly took  place  ;  for  as  they  were  on  their  v\'ay,  they 
were  all  cured.  But  see  the  innate  insrratitude  of  human 
nature  !  Of  the  ten  which  received  this  miraculous  bless- 
ing, but  one  poor  wretch  returned  to  give  thanks,  and  he 
a  stranger  ;  who,  before  he  was  cured,  by  reason  of  the 
uncleanness  of  his  disease,  was  forced  to  stand  afar  off, 
now  joyfully  approaches  his  divine  physician,  with  a  loud 
voice  glorifying  God,  and  throwing  himself  at  his  feet, 
gives  thanks  to  the  lioly  Jesus, 

The  blessed  Saviour,  being  now  arrived  at  Jerusalem, 
for  some  days  did  not  appear  in  the  public  meetings, 
though  at  the  same  time  he  heard  of  the  various  opinions 
of  men  concerning  him  ;  some  saying  that  he  was  a  good 
man ;  others  that  he  decei\'ed  the  people ;  while  the 
Pharisees  sought  for  him  to  do  him  a  mischief.  But  \vhien 
they  despaired  of  finding  him  in  the  nmht  of  the  feast 
among  the  people,  they  repaired  to  the  temple,  v/herc 
they  found  him  preaching,  openly,  to  the  great  surprise 
and  amazement  of  those  that  knew  his  parentage  and  edu- 
cation ;  for  they  marvelled,  saying,  '*  How  comes  he  to 
understand  the  law  and  scriptures  so  well,  having  not  been 
educated  in  the  schools  of  the  prophets  ?"  But  notwith- 
standing Jesus  had  convinced  them  by  the  variety  and  di- 
vinity of  his  miracles  and  discourses ;  yet  so  perverse  and 
obstinate  were  they,  that  they  gave  thfc  greatest  testimony 
in  the  world  of  hunian  weakness,  and  how  prevalent  pre- 
judice is  above  the  convictions  of  demonstration  :  for  a 
proverb,  a   mistake,  a  mere  error  in  matter  of  circuni. 


of  the  Holy  Bihk,  323 

stance,  (lid  in  their  understandings  out\vcii;h  multitudes 
ol*  miracles  and  arguments  of  which  they  had  been  witness- 
es, and  u  hich  bclbre  had  convinced  them ;  for  Christ  be- 
ing of  Galilee,  because  of  the  proverb,  "  That  out  of  Ga- 
lilee comes  no  prophet,"  and  because  the  rulers  did  not 
believe  in  him,  these  outweighed  the  demonstrations  of 
his  mercy,  power,  and  divinity.  But  notwithstanding 
these  opinions  of  some,  yet  very  many  believed  on  him, 
and  no  man  durst  lay  hands  on  him  to  take  him,  for  as  yet 
his  time  was  not  come,  in  which  he  meant  to  give  himself 
up  to  the  power  of  the  Jews  :  and  therefore  when  the  Pha- 
risees sent  officers  to  seize  him,  they  also  became  his  dis- 
ciples, being  surprised  at  the  excellency  of  his  doctrine. 
And  not  only  the  inferior  officers,  but  the  rulers  were  sus- 
pected ;  for  Nicodemus,  the  same  that  by  stealth  and  in 
the  night  came  before  to  Jesus,  seeing  with  what  preju- 
dice the  Pharisees  persecuted  him,  could  not  forbear  in- 
terposing, urging  tlie  unreasonableness  of  condemning 
any  person  without  a  hearing.  Upon  which  they  reproach- 
ed him  for  taking  a  Galilean's  part.  *'  Art  thou,  one  of 
the  Sanhedrim,  a  follower  of  the  Galilean?  Examine  all 
limes,  you  shall  never  find  that  Galilee  hath  produced  a 
prophet." 

In  the  evening  Jesus  went  to  the  mount  of  Olives,  on 
\\\z  east  of  Jerusalem,  and  the  next  day  returned  again 
into  the  temple  ;  where  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees  brought 
liim  a  woman,  taken  in  the  act  of  adultery,  tempting  him  to 
give  sentence,  that  they  might  accuse  him  of  severity  and 
intermeddling  if  he  condemned  her,  or  of  remissness  and 
love  of  popularity  if  he  acquitted  her.  But  Jesus  answered 
them  by  bidding  the  innocent  person  among  them  cast 
the  first  stone  at  the  adulteress ;  and  then  stooping  down 
to  give  them  a  fair  occasion  to  withdraw,  he  wrote  upon 
the  ground  with  his  finger,  whilst  they  left  the  woman 
and  her  crime  to  a  more  private  censure.  None  remain- 
ing now  but  Jesus  and  the  woman,  she  standing  before 
him  in  the  posture  of  an  accused  criminal  before  a  judge; 
he  lifting  up  himself,  and  finding  none  btit  the  woman, 
asked  her  what  was  become  of  her  accusers  ;  or  whether 
any  one  had  condemned  her.  She  answered,  "  No  man, 
Lord.     Neither  do  I,"  said  h^,  "  but  call  thee  to  rcpen- 


224  A  Complete  History 

tance  and  reformation  :  and  tKen  charging  her  to  sin  no 
more,*  he  dismissed  her. 

Shortly  after,  Jesus  began  again  to  discourse  to  the 
Jews  of  his  missionf  from  God,  telHng  them  that  he  was 
the  hght  of  the  world,  and  that  whoever  would  follow  him, 
should  receive  that  illumination  which  would  infallibly 
guide  him  to  eternal  life.  The  Jews  refuse  to  believe  hun, 
because  of  his  own  single  testimony  of  himself:  to  which 
he  replied,  "  You  that  know  not  my  divine  extraciion, 
judge  of  rne  only  according  to  my  human  original,  and 
in  proportion  to  that  give  your  opinion  of  me  ;  but  yet 
if  I  should  do  so,  my  judgment  would  be  valid  accordmg 
to  law,  because  this  is  the  judgment  and  testimony  ot  my 
Father,  who  by  his  Spirit  and  miracles,  and  his  voice  from 
heaven  requiring  all  to  believe  on  me,  must  needs  judge 
them  as  obstinate  unbelievers,  who  shall  stand  out  against 
all  this.  It  is  the  known  custom  of  all  laws,  particu- 
larly of  yours,  (Deut.  xvii.  6)  that  .» e  testimony  of  two 
men  is  to  be  received  in  any  cause  whatever :  and  I  and 
my  Father  are  those  two  ;  for  as  I  now  witness  of  myself 
in  a  cause  that  concerns  you  ;  so  my  Father  also,  by  a 
voice  from  heaven,  by  descent  of  the  Spirit,  by  miracles 
and  prophecies,  testifies  my  connnission  from  him."  But 
the  Jews  regarding  only  his  human  extraction,  Jesus  fe- 
plied,  "  You  will  not  receive  any  knowledge  concerning 
me  or  my  Father :  your  acknowledgment  of  me  is  the 
only  way  to  bring  you  to  the  knowledge  of  my  Father. 
I  shall  depart  from  you,  and  then  ye  will  seek  me  un- 
profitably ;  and  by  not  believing  me  now,  briug  judg- 
ments upon  yourselves  hereafter.  After  the  Romans,  at 
your  solicitation,  shall  crucify  |.  me,  there  will  be  such 
evidences  of  my  being  truly  what  ye   will  not  now  be- 


*  Sin  no  more.  Several  critics  observe  that  the  word  a/ust^ldviiv  to  sin,  is  used  by 
the  most  elegant  Greek  classics  (as  the  correspondent  word  peccare  is  by  the  La- 
tin) to  signify  the  commission  of  adultery  ;  which  strongly  intimates,  that  even 
the  light  of  nature  taught  many  of  the  heathen  tlie  exceeding  sinfulness  of  it.  See 
Doddridge  on  John  viii.  1,  &.c. 

■f  Mission.     See  John  viii.    12,  13,  15,  8cc- 

I  Crucify.     See  John  viii.  28. 


of  the  Holy  Bible.  325 

lieve  mc  to  be,  that  you  shall  have  no  excuse  to  deny  it ; 
then  shall  you  be  convinced,  either  to  the  workini^  of 
your  rt  pentance  or  destruction,  that  I  am  tiie  Messiah, 
and  came  IVom  God,  and  do  nothing  but  according  to 
my  commission  from  him."  Upon  this  many  of  the 
Jews  believed  ;  '^  to  whom  addressing  himself,  he  said, 
"  If  ye  constantly  practise  my  commands,  ye  are  truly 
and  really  my  disciples  ;  and  those  truths  which  I  shall  re- 
veal to  you  shall  procure  you  a  most  valuable  freedom." 
The  other  Jews  then  present,  who  were  not  believers, 
taking  this  as  a  reflection  on  them  said,  "  We  are  heirs 
of  the  promises  made  to  Abraham,  f  and  were  never  yet 
slaves  to  any  man;  how  then  do  we  need  freedom  ?" 
Jtsus  answered  them,  "  I  do  assure^  you,  you  are  mis- 
taken in  thinking  yourselves  to  be  free,  for  there  are  no 
such  slaves  as  those  that  live  indulging  in  sin  ;  and  being 
such,  you  are  far  from  ha\ing  any  right  to  be  continued 
in  God's  family,  which  belongs  only  to  sons.  \  In  the 
common  account  of  the  world,  a  servant  is  so  far  from 
being  a  son,  or  having  any  right  to  the  inheritance  of  the 
familv,  that  he  is  at  the  mercy  of  the  heir  when  he  comes 
to  age,  to  cast  him  quite  out  of  the  family ;  and  unless 
the  sou  make  him  free,  he  cannot  be  free.  And  this  is 
the  case  of  all  such  as  you.  Christ  must  free  him  from 
his  spiritual  bondage  of  sin,  before  he  can  be  capable  of 
any  benefit  of  being  a  son,  even  of  a  son  by  adoption." 
The  Jews  then  valuing  themselves  upon  their  being  the 
children  of  Abraham  and  of  God,  he  tells  them,  as  to  the 
first,  that  if  they  were  indeed  Abraham's  children,  they 
would  be  like  him  in  his  faith  and  obedience,  as  children 
resemble  their  parents  in  their  nature  and  form  :  and  as  to 
tlieir  being  the  children  of  God,  he  tells  them,  that  their 
hatred  to  him  is  a  certain  proof  that  God  is  not  their 
Father,  "  For,  says  he,  lam  sent  immediately  from  God, 
I  came  from  heaven,  and  what  I  do  is  by  commission 


*  Believed.     See  John  viii.  30. 

-}-  AbraJjam.     See  John  viii.  33. 

\  Assure.     See  John  viii.  34. 

^  Sons.    See  John  viii.  15,  and  so  on  to  the  end  of  this  sermqp. 


526  J  Complete  History 

from  God.  Ye  imitate  the  devil,  who  from  the  beginning 
\vas  malicious,  proud,  and  bloody,  and  soon  apostatized 
from  God  and  the  right  way  ;  for  he  is  an  enemy  to  truth, 
and  therefore  for  him  to  lie,  and  confirm  you  in  unbelief 
is  natural  to  him.  I  am  sure  you  have  no  fault  or  impos- 
ture to  lay  to  my  charge,  and  yet  ye  vi'ill  not  believe  the 
truth  when  I  speak  it.  If  ye  had  true  piety  in  you,  then 
certainly  my  doctrine,  being  from  God,  would  be  accept- 
able to  you,  and  ye  would  embrace  it.  '^  To  this  the 
Jews  could  make  no  reply,  but  fell  into  reproachful  lan- 
guage, calling  him  Samaritan*  and  madman  ;t  and  mis- 
understanding on  what  grounds  he  gave  himself  the  pre- 
ference before  Abraham,  and  thinking  that  he  had  spoken 
blasphemy,  they  resolved  to  confute  him  to  some  purpose, 
for  they  took  up  stones  to  cast  at  him :  but  he  went  out 
of  the  temple,  and  miraculously  preserved  himself,  passing 
safely  through  the  midst  of  them. 

Bat  in  his  passage  he  met  a  man  who  had  been  born 
blind  ;  and  being  asked  by  some  of  his  followerc  whether 
it  was  the  man's  own  sin,  or  some  ^in  of  his  parents,  that 
caused  this  blindness,  he  told  them,  that  this  misfortune 
was  not  sent  as  a  punishment  of  his  own  or  his  parents' 
sin,  but  as  an  occasion  to  rpake  public  the  glory  of  God  : 
and  Jesus,  to  demonstrate  that  himself  was  the  light  of 
the  world  in  all  senses,  said  it  now,  and  proved  it  by  a 
miracle ;  for  sitting  down,  he  made  clay  of  his  spittle, 


*  Samaritan.  This  title  of  Samaritan  is  here  given  to  Christ  by  way  of  re- 
proach :  Not  that  they  tliought  him  so,  but  because  this  was  an  odious  name  among 
the  Jews :  or  else,  because  he  conversed  with  the  Samaritan  woman,  which  was 
againsjt  the  Jewish  rule,  John  iv.  9,  he  is  thought  a  deserter  of  the  Jewish  law, 
and  so  to  Ije  one  of  them. 

•|-  Madman.  This  is  rendered,  "  thou  hast  a  devil."  All  sorts  of  diseases 
were  sometinves  brought  on  men  by  the  devil,  and  so  generally  they  that  were 
brought  to  Christ  for  cure,  are  said  to  be  possessed  ;  but  especially  those  who  were 
more  strangely  affected  without  any  visible  cause  of  it,  were  generally  thought  to 
suffer  this  from  the  devil's  obtaining  power  to  possess  them  ;  and  of  this  sorV, 
especially  mad-men,  who  being  not  discernibly  sick,  did  yet  behave  themselves 
as  if  they  were  under  some  strong  distemper,  and  therefore  by  them  supposed  to 
be  possessed  by  some  evil  spirit.  So  in  Justin  Martyr,  Apol.  2.  "  They  that  are 
possessed  are  by  all  men  cj^Ued  ir.cid." 


o/thd  Holy  Bible.  327 

ntid  anointing  the  eyes  of  the  blind  man,  bid  Iwm  go  and 
•\vnsh  in  Siloam.*  The  blind  man  joyfully  obeyed,  and 
went  and  washed  as  he  was  commanded,  and  returned 
seeing ;  which  so  amazed  his  neighbours,  that  they  ques- 
tioned whether  this  was  the  same  man  that  used  to  beg. 
He  told  them  positively  he  was  the  same  man,  and  gra- 
tified their  curiosity  by  informing  them  who  was  his  phy- 
sician, and  the  method  of  his  cure.  This  miracle  being 
performed  on  the  sabbath-day,  the  Pharisees  laid  hold  on 
the  circumstance  to  lessen  Jesus,  saying,  "This  man  can- 
not be  of  God,  because  he  violateih  the  sabbath."  But 
others  with  less  prejudice  said,  "  Certainly  such  miracles 
cannot  be  wrought  but  by  the  finger  of  God,  and  therefore 
o;annot  be  the  work  of  an  impostor,  or  a  man  of  sin.  The 
incredulous  Jews  would  not  believe  matter  of  fact  in  the 
man  that  was  blind  ;  and  thinking  to  make  the  thing  appear 
intricate,  and  beyond  the  capacity  of  the  vulgar,  who 
they  feared  might  by  these  miracles  be  induced  to  be- 
lieve on  Jesus,  sent  for  the  parents  of  the  man  who  was 
restored  to  his  sight,  of  whom  they  asked  these  three 
questions,  Whether  he  was  their  son  ?  whether  he  was 
born  blind  ?  And  whether  they  knew  how,  or  by  whom 
he  was  cured  ?  To  the  two  first  questions  they  answered 
directly,  "  We  know  him  to  be  our  son,  and  that  he 
was  born  blind  ;  but  how,  or  by  whom  he  recovered  his 
sight  he  himself  best  knows  ;  he  is  of  age,  let  him  answer 
for  himself."  The  poor  parents  durst  say  no  more;  for 
ttiey  had  been  before  cautioned  by  an  agreement  among 
the  Jews,  which  was,  that  if  any  man  did  confess  Christy 
he  should  be  excluded  from  the  synagogue  ;  and  therefore 
they  referred  them  for  a  further  answer  to  their  son.  Him 
therefore  they  a  second  time  examined,  attempting  to 
draw  him  from  that  opinion  of  Christ  which  he  seemed  to 
entertain,  by  bidding  him  ascribe  the  praise  of  his  cure 
wholly  to  God,  and  not  to  look  on  Jesus  with  any  vene- 
ration ;  telling  him,  that  if  he  did  it  on  the  day,  and  in 


*  Siloam.  There  is  a  traditien,  that  this  was  a  pool  of  limpid  water,  which 
God  sent  at  the  prayer  of  Isaiah  the  prophet  a  little  before  his  death,  to  satisfy 
the  necessities  of  his  people  oppressed  with  thirst  and  a  close  siege  ;  apd  it  stood 
at  the  foot  of  the  mount  Sionr 


338  A  Complete  Bis  tori/ 

the  manner  beforemeniioned,  it  was  thereby  evident  that 
he  held  broken  the   sabbath,  and  so  came  not  from  God, 
but  was  an  impostor^  who  consequently  liad  no  such  vir- 
tue or  piety  as  could  contribute  any  thing  to  this  matter. 
The  poor  blind  mm,  however,  would  not  recede  from  the 
truth ;  for  he  said,  "  Whether  he  be  a  sinner,  or  no,  I 
cannot  tell ;  but  this  I  certainly  know,  that  whereas  I  was 
blind,  I  now,  through  him,  enjoy  the  blessing  of  sight." 
This  recognition  of  Jesus  very  greatly  incensed  the  Jews, 
hisomuch  that  they  taxed  him   with  being  his  disciple ; 
boasting  that  themselves  \vere  the  disciples  of  Moses,  but 
as  for  Jesus,  they  knew  not  whence  he  was.     The  poor 
man  in  the  simplicity  and  zeal  of  his  heart,  willing  to  do 
justice  to  his  physician,  says,    "  It  is  strange  that  one 
should  do  such  miracles  as  these,  and  you  learned  men 
know  not  whether  he  be  sent  from  God  or  not.     It  is 
allowed  on  all  hands  that  an  impostor  or   false  teacher  is 
not  enabled  by  God  to  work  such  great  miracles,  but  on- 
ly pious  and  faithful  servants  of  God,  that  came  to  do  his 
will,  not  their  own.     It  is  above  all  human  power  to  open 
the  eyes  of  one  born  blind:  if  he  were  not  sent  and  em- 
powered by  God,  he  could  never  do  such  things  as  these." 
This  provoked  them  so  much,  that  they  first  stigmatized 
him  with  the  greatest  reproach  imaginable,  that  his  being 
born  blind  was  a  mark  and  character  of  some  extraordinary 
evil  in  him,  which  made  him  very  unfit  to  teach  doctors 
and  rabbies  in  matters  of  this  moment ;  and  then  they  cast 
him  out  of  the  synagogue  with  disgrace.  But  Jesus,  meet- 
ing  him,  received  him  into  the  church ;  for  he  informed 
him  that  he  was  the  Christ :  the  man  became  enlightened  ; 
beheved  him,  and  paid  the  acknowledgment  and  adoration 
tb  him,  that  was  due  to  the  Messiah.     But  the  Pharis  es 
blasphemed  :  for  such  was  the  dispensation  of  the  divine 
mysteries,  that  the    blind  should  see  ;    and  they  which 
think  they  see  clearly  should  become  blind,  because  they 
had  not  the  excuse  of  ignorance  to  extenuate  their  sin  ; 
but  in  the  midst  of  light  they  shut  their  eyes,  and  doted 
upon  darkness,  therefore  did  their  sin  remain. 

Notwithstanding  the  obstinacy  of  the  Jews,  and  the 
repeated  instances  of  their  malice  and  prejudice  against 
Jesus  and  his  doctrine^  he  continued  his  sermon  to  the 


of  the  Holy  Blhle.  .129 

Pharisees.  For  sj^caking  of  ihe  properties  of  a  good  shep- 
herd, and  the  lawiul  way  of  admission  ;  he  proved  them 
to  i)c  tliieves  and  robbers,  because  they  refused  to  enter 
in  by  him,  \\\\o  is  the  door  of  the  sheep.  And  upon  the 
same  ground  he  reproved  all  those  false  Clirists,  who 
after  him,  should  usurp  the  title  of  Messiah  ;  and  proved 
his  own  office  by  an  argument  which  no  other  shepherd 
would  use  ;  Because  he  laid  down  his  life  for  his  sheep. 
Some  would  eat  the  flesh,  others  would  take  the  fleece  ; 
but  none  but  himself  would  die  for  his  sheep  :  but  he 
should  die  first,  and  then  would  he  gather  his  sheep  to- 
gether into  one  fold  ;  intimating  thereby  the  calling  of 
the  Gentiles.  To  which  purpose  he  was  enabled  by  his 
Father  to  lay  down  his  life,  and  to  take  it  up ;  and  had 
also  endeared  them  to  his  Father,  that  they  should  be 
preserved  unto  eternal  life  ;  and  no  power  should  be  able 
to  take  them  out  of  his  hand,  or  the  hand  of  his  Father. 
For  because  Jesus  was  united  to  the  Father,  the  Father's 
care  preserved  his  Son's  flock.  But  the  Jews,  to  requite 
him  for  these  divine  sermons  and  excellent  discourses,  re-" 
sumed  their  old  argument  of  taking  up  stones  to  cast  at 
him,  pretending  he  had  blasphemed.  But  Jesus  proved 
it  to  be  no  blasphemy  to  call  himself  the  Son  of  God,  be- 
cause they  to  whom  the  word  of  God  came  are  in  Scrip- 
ti.rj  called  Gods.  But  nothing  could  satisfy  them,  whose 
temporal  interest  was  concerned  not  to  consent  to  such 
doctrine,  which  would  save  their  souls  by  endangering 
their  worldly  advantages. 

After  this,  the  Jews  sought  again  to  take  him  ;  but  he 
escaped  out  of  their  hands,  and  went  away  beyond  Jor- 
dan, where  John  at  first  baptized;  which  gave  the  people 
occasion  to  remember  that  John  had  done  no  miracle,  but 
Jesus  had  performed  many  ;  besides,  John,  whom  all  men 
did  revere  and  highly  esteem  for  his  office  and  sanctity, 
gave  testimony  to  Jesus.  Thus  by  comparing  these  things, 
many  were  inclined  to  believe  in  him. 

After  this,  Jesus  knowing  that  the  harvest  was  great, 
and  as  yet  few  labourers ;  and  that  there  were  many  ready 
to  receive  the  gospel  when  it  should  be  preached  to  them, 
directed  his  disciples  to  pray  the  Lord  of  the  harvest  to  in- 
cfine  men's  hearts  to  undertake  this  office  of  going  and 

Vol.  II.  T  t 


■530  A  Complete  Bistonj 

revealing  it  to  them ;  for  as  yet  there  were  very  few  for  s© 
great  a  work.  Beside  the  twelve  apostles,  he  therefore 
chose  seventy  others,  to  be  to  him  as  disciples  were  wont 
to  be  to  the  prophets,  that  is,  to  go  on  his  errands  as  he 
should  appoint  them ;  which  they  did  by  two  together,  as 
harbingers  proclaiming  his  approach,  whither  he  meant  to 
come.  In  the  preamble  *  of  their  commission  he  tells 
them  they  must  expect  to  meet  with  dangers  and  ill  treat- 
ment ;  "  Yet  let  not  that  deter  you,  or  put  you  upon 
making  provision  for  your  journey.  Heal  the  sick, 
preach  that  the  kingdom  of  God  is  approaching.  Where- 
ever  ye  shall  be  ill  treated,  shake  off  the  dust  of  your 
shoes  against  that  place  as  a  testimony  of  their  obstinacy 
and  in  hospitality,  and  of  their  approaching  ruin.  He 
that  despiseth  the  warnings  that  you  give  them,  despiseth 
ine  that  sent  you;  and  he  that  depiseth  me,  despiseth 
God  that  sent  me  ;  the  affront  offered  to  you  is  the  same 
as  if  offered  to  me.'^  The  seventy  having  executed  their 
commission,  returned,  and  with  great  joy  addressed  tiiem- 
selves  to  Jesus,  telling  him,  that  by  the  power  and  virtue 
of  his  name  the  very  devils  were  become  subject  to  them. 
Jesus  told  them  it  was  no  wonder,  for  he  had  beheld  Satanf 
as  lightning  fall  from  heaven  ;  and  that  it  was  determined 
that  the  prince  of  devils  should  be  dethroned,  and  fall  from 
his  great  po\ver  in  tlie  world,  as  lightning  when  it  vanish - 
eth  away.  Moreover  Jesus,  to  shew  the  satisfaction  he  re- 
ceived, enlarged  their  commission,  by  an  additional  pow- 
er over  the  enemy  in  all  manner  of  circumstances,  together 
with  an  immunity  from  all  danger.  Then  it  was  that  the 
blessed  Jesus  rejoiced|  in  spirit,  giving  glory  to  God,  that 
he  had  made  his  revelation  to  babes,  and  sucklings  :  which 
was  an  act  of  infinite  wisdom,  mercy,  and  condescension 
to  the  weakness  of  man,  mixed  wkh  all  justice  towards 
the  contemners  of  his  promises,  x 

About  this  time,  a  certain  lawyer  (one  of  those  who 
studied  and  expounded  the  law  of  Moses)  came  forward 


=»-j 


*  Preamble.  See  Luke  x.  3,  &c. 

f  Satan.    See  Luke  x.  18. 

%  Rejoiced,    See  Luke  x.  17.  Matt.  xi.  25.' 


of  the  Holy  Bible,  331 

with  much  sclf-consequcncc  and  secret  contempt  of  Jesus, 
proposing  a  plausible  question,  but  w  illi  a  design  to  in- 
volve him  in  a  difficulty.  He  begged  to  be  informed  what 
he  must  do,  for  the  attainment  of  eternal  life.  Had  the 
question  been  proposed  with  a  humble  and  teachable  dis- 
position, our  Lord  would  doubtless  have  given  a  direct 
and  explicit  answer;  but  knowing  the  proud  and  captious 
temper  of  the  Scribe,  he  replied  in  a  way  which  might 
tend  to  humble  or  silence  him.  He  therefore  referred  him 
to  the  demands  of  the  law,  upon  obedience  to  which  the 
Scribe  placed  his  dependence,  assuring  him  a  complete 
compliance  with  those  claims,  of  perfect  love  to  God  and 
man,  would  secure  to  him  the  blessing  desir.ed.  **-This 
do,  and  thou  shalt  live;"  as  if  he  had  said  "  Perform, 
punctually  and  perpetually,  without  interruption  or  imper- 
fection, all  tlie  injunctions  of  tlie  holy  and  spiritual  law  of 
God,  and  eternal  life  shall  be  thine ;  but,  remember,  that 
the  least  deviation  or  defect  will  ruin  thee  for  ever."* 

The  Scribe,  willing  to  stand  on  his  own  defence,  and  to 
evade  conviction,  proposed  another  question — "  Who  is 
my  neighbour?"  It  should  seem  that  he,  like  all  others 
who  seek  salvation  by  their  own  .doings,  was  desirous  of 
narrowing  the  demands  of  the  law  as  much  as  jx)ssible,  and 
reducing  the  number  of  those  to  whom  the  duties  of  love 
were  owing.  Our  Lord,  wisely  took  this  occasion  of  con- 
futing the  prevalent  notion  that  neighbours  were  only  such 
persons  as  lived  near  each  other,  or  were  connected  by  the 
ties  of  blood  or  religion.  He  therefore  shewed,  by  a  par- 
able, that  we  ought  to  extend  our  kindness  to  all  our  fel- 
low-creatures in  distress,  of  whatever  nation  or  profession, 
even  to  those  who  have  been  separated  from  lis  by  paity 
quarrels  and  distinctions. 

"  A  certain  traveller,"  said  our  Lord,  "  going  from  Je- 
rusalem to  Jericho,  was  set  upon  by  thieves,  who  not  only 
rifled  him  of  his  clothes  and  money,  but  so  dangerously 


* 


Ever.  In  this  manner,  St.  Paul  speaks,  Gal.  iii.  10,  "  For  as  many  as  are 
of  the  works  of  the  law,"  that  is,  who  seek  justification  by  it,  "  are  under  the 
curse  ;"  for  it  is  written,  "  Cursed  is  every  one  that  continueth  not  in  ail  things 
j.vhich  are  written  in  the  book  of  the  law  to  do  them." 


332  A  Complete  History 

wounded  him,  that  they  left  him  almost  expiring  on  the 
ground.  By  chance  a  Priest  came  that  way,  and  saw  the 
poor  wretch  weltering  in  his  blood  :  but  the  sight  did  not 
affect  him,  he  passed  along  unconcerned.  Next  came  a 
Levite,  as  void  of  tenderness  and  humanity  as  the  priest. 
At  last  the  groans  of  the  poor  wretch  stirred  up  the  curi- 
osity of  a  Samaritan  to  see  the  cause,  which  he  no  sooner 
discovered,  but,  moved  with  compassion,  he  went  to  him, 
raised  his  head,  recalled  his  fainting  spirits,  and  closed  his 
gaping  wounds  with  healing  balsams;  then  mounting  him 
on  his  own  beast  he  gently  conveyed  the  man  to  the  first  inn, 
where  at  his  own  cost  he  entertained  him  whilst  he  staid 
with  him,  and  at  his  departure  promised  the  host  to  be  at 
Vv'hatever  further  expence  should  be  incurred."  Oiir 
blessed  Saviour  applying  this  parable  to  the  lawyer,  asked 
him,  which  he  thought  was  neighbour  to  the  poor  travel- 
ler ?  The  lawyer  replied,  "  Undoubtedly  he  that  was  kind, 
and  careful  of  him."  Then  says  he  to  the  lawyer,  "  Go 
thou  and  do  likewise."  Hereby  plainly  intimating,  that  no 
distance  of  country  or  religion  destroyed  the  true  notion  of 
neighbourhood,  but  every  person  with  whom  we  converse 
in  peace  and  charity  is  that  neighbour,  whom  we  are  to 
love  as  ourselves. 

The  holy  Jesus  knowing,  though  not  dreading  the  ma- 
lice of  the  Jews,  who  in  many  repeated  instances  had  at- 
tempted his  life,  resolved  at  present  to  prevent  any  mis- 
chief by  withdrawing  from  all  populous  places,  and  leaving 
Jerusalem,  he  came  to  a  village  called  Bethany ;  where  he 
was  cheerfully  and  generously  received  by  Martha,  who 
making  great  preparation  for  his  entertainment,  to  express 
her  joy  and  affection  to  his  person,  desired  Jesus  to  dis- 
miss her  sister  Mary  from  his  feet,  who  sat  there  feasting 
herself  with  the  sweetness  of  his  doctrine,  and  altogether 
inattentive  to  any  provision  for  his  entertainment.  But 
our  Lord  commended  Mary's  choice  ;  and  though  he  did 
not  slight  Martha's  civility,  yet  he  preferred  Mary's  sanc- 
tity of  affection  to  Martha's  generosity.  "  Thou  takest  a 
great  deal  of  unnecessary  pains,"  says  he  to  Martha  :  "  but 
the  one  only  thing  which  is  absolutely  necessary,  the  hear- 
ing my  word  in  order  to  the  keeping  of  it,  is  a  m.ore  accep- 
table thing-  to  me,  than  the  entertaining  me  with  so  much 


of  the  IIoUj  Bible,  333 

sc»licituclc  and  diligence,  and  tlie  advantage  of  this  will  con- 
liniie  with  Mary  to  all  eternity." 

Upon  occasion  of  our  blessed  Lord's  frequent  retiring 
to  jMuyer,  his  disciples  took  into  consideration  how  need- 
ful it  was  for  them  to  be  directed  in  a  right  performance 
of  that  duty,  and  thereupon  one  of  them,  at  his  coming  to 
them,  besought  him  to  give  them  a  form  or  model  of  prayer 
for  their  direction,  in  like  manner  as  John  the  Baptist  had 
instructed  his  disciples.  Jesus  therefore  gave  them  that 
excellent  pattern  of  prayer  which  we  call  the  Lord's 
prayer.  He  encouraged  them  to  pray,*  by  the  considera- 
tion of  the  di\'ine  goodness  and  fatherly  aiFection,  far  more 
indulgent  to  his  sons  than  natural  fathers  are  to  their 
dearest  ofl'spring,  and  adds  a  gracious  promise  of  success 
to  them  that  pniy ;  "  Ask  and  it  shall  be  given  to  you." 
Then  he  exhorts  them  to  perseverance  in  prayer,t  to  be 
constant  and  diligent  in  the  performance  of  the  duty,  not 
only  in  respect  of  God,  to  whom  it  is  due,  but  of  them- 
selves, whose  petitions  by  assiduity  are  most  likely  to  be 
obtained.  After  this,  being  invited  to  dine  with  a  Phari- 
see, lie  freely  inveighed  against  the  ridiculous  superstition 
and  hypocritical  ostentation  of  the  Pharisees  ;  who  affect- 
ing external  purity  in  their  manner  of  living,  neglected  to 
cleanse  their  souls  from  internal  impurities.  Instead  of 
v  hich  traditional  formalities  he  advises  them  to  inward 
holiness  and  works  of  charity  which  are  far  more  pleasing 
and  acceptable  to  God  than  all  the  rites  of  outward  puri- 
fication. "  Ye  Pharisees,"  said  he,  "  give  tythe  of  the 
meanest  product  of  your  gardens,  but  omit  the  principal 
duties  to  God  and  man.  These  are  the  main  things  which 
God  requires  of  you  ;  though  the  other  performances  of 
paying  tythes  exactly  according  to  the  law  and  custom 
among  you  ought  not  to  be  neglected."  Then  pronoun- 
cing a  woe  to  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees,  he  tells  them 
they  are  like  graves  overgrown  with  grass,  and  they  which 
see  their  specious  outsides,  know  not  that  within  are  dead 
men's  bones  and  putrefaction,  and  so  are  polluted  by 
them.     At  this  a  member  of  the  Sanhedrim  was  so  of- 


•  Pray,    Luke  xi.  1.  -j-  Prayer.    Luke  xyiii.  1. 


334  A  Complete  Bistort/ 

fended,  that  he  told  Jesus,  "  This  speech  of  thine  seems 
to  reflect  on  us,  and  the  gravity  of  our  places  and  persons." 
To  which  the  holy  Jesus  replied,  "Woe  be  to  you  fou 
that  hypocrisy  of  yours,  in  appearing  to  bear  such  respQct, 
as  to  rebuild  the  tombs  of  those  prophets  whom  your 
fathers  killed,  you  yourselves  having  as  bloody  thoughts 
against  those  that  are  now  sent  to  you." 

About  this  time  one  of  the  company,  seeing  with  what 
authority  he  reproved  and  decided  among  the  people, 
addressed  himself  to  our  Lord,  saying,  "  Sir,  there  is  a 
controversy  between  my  brother  and  me  about  dividing 
our  patrimony,  I  desire  to  avoid  the  delays  of  a  litigious 
suit  at  law,  and  refer  the  matter  to  you  to  conclude  be- 
tween us. "  But  Jesus  declined  the  office  of  an  arbitrator, 
as  not  choosing  to  interfere  in  the  temporal  concerns  of 
men.  Then  he  preached  against  covetousness,  and  the 
placing  our  happiness  in  worldly  possessions,  applying 
the  parable  of  a  rich  man,  whose  store  was  too  copious 
for  his  barns ;  for  projecting  with  himself  to  enlarge  his 
barns  and  lay  up  all  in  them,  never  thinking  in  the  least 
of  dispensing  to  the  necessity  of  others,  any  part  of  his 
superfluous  possessions,  he  proposed  to  indulge  himself 
in  voluptuousness,  and  stupidly  enjoy  himself  in  his  per- 
ishing goods  :  but  he  was  soon  snatched  from  the  posses- 
sion of  them,  and  his  soul  taken  from  him  in  the  violence 
of  a  rapid  and  hasty  sickness  in  the  space  of  one  night.  This 
is  directly  the  case  of  any  one  that  makes  no  use  of  this  in- 
crease and  plenty,  but  only  topossess  it,  and  provide  for  him- 
self by  it,  not  thinking  of  employing  a  suitable  proportion  of 
his  wealth  to  the  relief  of  the  necessitous,  and  the  service  of 
God.  Then  discoursing  of  the  divine  providence  and  care 
over  us,  he  descends  to  demonstrate  it  in  the  wild  flowers 
and  grass  of  the  field,  those  beautiful  ornaments  of  nature, 
which  the  providence  of  God  nourishes  and  preserves.  "  En- 
tertain not  therefore,  said  he,  any  solicitous  thoughts  about 
your  worldly  affairs  ;  let  no  uneasy  anxieties  disturb  your 
minds  for  such  things  ;  for  your  heavenly  Father  which 
designed  you  to  an  everlasting  kingdom,  will  not  fail  to 
allow  you  your  portion  here  of  those  things  that  are  useful 
for  you."  Then  he  again  exhorted  to  alms-deeds,  to 
watchfulness  and  preparation  against  the  sudden  and  unex- 


of  the  Hohj  Blbk.  335 

peeled  coming  of  our  Lord  to  judgment,  or  the  arrest  oC 
death.  And  in  answer  to  Peter's  question,  whether  Christ 
spoke  particularly  to  his  apostles  and  disciples,  or  to  ally 
he  described  the  offices  of  his  ministers,  under  the  title  of 
stewards  and  governors  of  their  Lord's  houses ;  teaching 
them  gentleness  and  sobriety,  and  not  to  do  evil  upon  the 
confidence  of  their  Lord's  aljsence  and  delay ;  and  instruct- 
ing the  people  even  of  themselves  to  judge  what  is  right 
concerning  the  signs  of  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  man. 
And  the  end  of  all  these  discourses  was,  that  all  men 
should  repent  and  be  saved. 

Whilst  Jesus  was  pressing  these  discourses  oxi  the  peo- 
ple, there  were  present  some  who  told  him  of  the  Gali- 
leans,* whose  blood  Pilate  had  mingled  with  their  sacri- 
fices. Jesus  replied,  that  these  external  accidents,  though 
they  be  sad  and  calamitous,  are  yet  no  arguments  of 
condemnation  against  the  persons  of  the  men,  to  con- 
vict them  of  greater  guilt  than  others,  upon  whom  no 
such  visible  signs  have  been  inflicted.  The  purpose  of  such 
awful  events  is,  that  we  should  repent,  lest  we  perish  in 
the  like  judgment,  applying  to  this  the  parable  of  the 
barren  fig-tree,  which  after  much  care  and  expence  bare 
no  fruit,  intimating  thereby,  "  This  people  hath  been 
long  unprofitable,  made  no  returns  for  God's  husbandry 
bestowed  on  them,  and  yet  God  hath  given  them  space  to 
repent,  and  sent  his  Son  to  dress  and  manure  them  ;  and 
if  this  do  not  succeed,  there  is  nothing  to  be  expected  but 
destruction  and  ruin. 

At  the  same  time  that  Jesus  was  teaching  in  one  of  the 
synagogues,  he  observed  a  woman  that  for  the  space  of 
eighteen  years  had  laboured  under  a  sore  disease  inflicted 


•  Galikans.  These  were  a  faction  of  one  Judas  Gaulonita,  a  sort  of  people 
that  taught  it  to  be  unlawful  to  pay  tribute  to  strangers,  or  to  pray  for  the  Ro- 
mans; and  because  the  Jews  did  both,  they  refused  to  communicate  in  their  sa- 
cred rites,  and  would  sacrifice  apart :  at  which  separate  solemnity,  when  Pilate 
the  Roman  deputy  had  apprehended  many  of  them,  he  caused  them  to  be  slain, 
causing  them  to  perish  on  the  same  altars.  These  were  of  the  province  of  Judea, 
but  of  the  same  opinion  with  those  who  taught  iu  Galilee,  from  whence  thffsect 
had  its  appellation. 


336  A  Complete  His  tor!/ 

on  her  by  the  agency  of  an  evil  spirit.  *"  Calling  the  wo- 
man to  him,  he  told  her  she  was  free  from  her  infirmity, 
and  confirmed  it  by  imposition  of  hands  ;  which  finished 
the  cure,  for  the  woman  immediately  became  straight, 
and  glorified  God.  Upon  this  cure,  a  certain  ruler  of 
the  synagogue  took  occasion  to  renew  the  old  question 
about  the  observation  of  the  sabbath  ;  for  it  was  on  the 
sabbath  that  Jesus  had  healed  the  woman.  The  ruler 
therefore  told  him  there  was  time  enough  on  the  six  days 
of  the  week  to  do  these  offices,  and  not  to  violate  the  sab- 
bath-day by  performing  them.  But  Jesus  made  him  asha- 
med by  an  argument  drawn  from  their  own  practice,  who 
loose  an  ox  from  the  stall  on  the  sabbath,  and  lead  him 
away  to  watering.  Ought  not  then  this  woman,  on  vvhom 
Satan  hath  for  so  many  years  inflicted  a  sore  disease,  to 
be  healed  of  it  ? 

After  this,  intending  to  go  to  Jerusalem,  he  passed 
through  the  towns  and  cities  of  Judea,  preaching  the 
same  doctrine  he  had  formerly  taught  them,  and  daily 
adding  new  precepts  and  cautions ;  adverting  to  the  mul- 
titudet  of  them  that  perish,  and  the  fewness  of  them 
that  shall  be  saved,  that  they  should  not  be  led  away  with 
the  example  of  the  many  that  neglected  the  present  oppor- 
tunity, and  afterwards  would  not  find  admission  when  they 
should  desire  it,  either  into  the  church  here,  or  the  king- 
dom of  God  at  the  day  of  judgment ;  that  the  gospel 
should  at  length  be  removed  from  the  obstinate  Jews,  and 
heaven  also ;  that  care  and  industry  was  required  to  obtain 
the  end  of  our  christian  faith  and  hope ;  and  that  a  faint 
formal  seeking  of  him,  a  desiring  the  re^vard  upon  no  far- 
ther pretences,  than  that  the  gospel  hath  been  preached 
among  them,  and  that  they  have  eat  and  drank  in  Christ's 
presence,  would  not  suffice  without  the  performance  of 
ail  that  Christ  requires  of  us.  As  for  others,  be  their 
pretences  and  confidences  never  so  great,  they  shall  at  the 
day  of  judgonent  be  utterly  rejected,  and  their  wicked 
doings  rewarded  with  everlasting  fire.     And   then  what 


*  spirit.     See  Luke  xiii.  16. 

f  Multitude.    See  Luke  xiii.  24,  Sec. 


of  the  Hull/  Bible.  337 

ti  restless  torment  Mill  it  be,  to  sec  the  fathers  of  the  old 
world,  that  never  saw  or  heard  Christ  preached  among 
rliem,  as  you  confess  you  have,  received  by  God  into  his 
kingdom,  and  yourselves  excluded?  and  tliat  thoui^h  but 
few  Jews  should  receive  the  faith,  yet  disciples  should 
come  from  all  quarters  of  the  world,  and  should  be  re- 
ceived and  entertained  in  the  kingdom  of  God  :  and  the 
Gentiles,  that  are  now  afar  off,  shall  be  admitted  to  Christ's 
favour,  whilst  the  present  Jews  through  their  obstinacy 
should  be  cast  out. 

Whilst  Jesus  was  instructing  the  people  and  performing 
miracles  among  them  in  this  manner,  some  of  the  Pharj- 
sees,  who  could  not  with  any  longer  patience  bear  his 
power  and  hear  his  doctrine,  being  desirous  to  get  rid  of 
him,  for  a  pretence,  suggested  the  danger  he  was  in  from 
Herod,  if  he  staid  any  longer  there,  saying,  "  Be  gone 
out  of  Galilee,  Herod's  jurisdiction;  for  if  thou  stayest 
here,  he  will  put  thee  to  death."  But  Jesus,  who  would 
hot  in  the  least  diminish  his  prophetic  character  and  com- 
mission by  betraying  any  dread  or  fear,  bids  them,  "  Gg 
tell  that  fox  Herod,  that  I  attend  the  decree  of  my  Fa- 
ther, and  in  the  mean  time  perform  the  office  for  which 
I  was  sent,  not  fearing  what  he  can  do  to  me.  Behold 
I  cast  out  devils,  and  cure  diseases  for  the  present ;  and 
after  a  while,  when  my  course  is  finished,  I  am  to  suffer 
death."  After  this  reprehension  of  Herod's  subtilty  and 
design  to  kill  him,  he  prophesied  that  he  should  die  at 
Jerusalem,  and  intimates  great  future  woes  and  miseries 
to  the  Jews  for  neglecting  this  their  day  of  visitation, 
and  for  killing  the  prophets  and  messengers  sent  from 
God. 

Being  upon  an  invitation  persuaded  to  go  on  a  sabbath- 
day,  and  dine  with  one  of  the  Pharisees  of  great  quality, 
a  ruler  or  member  of  one  of  their  consistories,  they  that 
had  thus  invited  him  treacherously,  observed  what  he 
would  do,  on  purpose  to  take  some  advantage  against 
him,  a  thing  contrary  to  all  the  laws  of  hospitalit3\  But 
he  knowing  their  malice,  by  way  of  prevention,  stopped 
their  mouths  with  the  same  argument  he  had  used  to  those 
that  reprehended  him  for  curing  the  infirm  woman   on 

Vol.  n.  '        U  u 


338  A  Complete  History 

the  sabbath-day.*  The  object  which  was  before  him,  and 
by  which  they  proposed  to  ensnare  him,  was  a  person  af- 
flicted with  the  dropsy.  But  Jesus  to  prevent  their  malice 
asked  them  this  question :  "  Is  the  working  a  cure  on  a 
sick  man  a  thing  forbidden,  and  unlawful  to  be  done  on 
the  sabbath-day  ?"  The  question  was  plain,  and  so  put, 
that  his  enemies  were  at  that  time  disappointed  ;  and  Jesus 
taking  no  farther  notice  of  them  cured  the  poor  man  of  his 
dropsy,  and  dismissed  him. 

Whilst  these  things  were  transacting  at  this  dinner,  the 
holy  Jesus  observed  how  fond  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees 
were  to  take  precedency  of  others  at  the  feast ;  and  there- 
fore knowing  their  inclinations,  he  spake  a  parable  to 
them,  which  imported  how  much  more  honourable  it  is 
for  a  man  to  set  himself  below,  than  above  his  place,  and 
how  certain  a  way  it  is  for  him  to  get  honour  :  for  hu- 
mility is  the  only  thing  that  is  valued  or  commended, 
either  by  God  or  man.  Then  he  reproached  them  for 
want  of  charity  in  their  entertainments,  inviting  none 
but  tliose  that  were  their  equals  or  superiors,  and  con- 
sequently able  to  return  their  compUment  ;  but  totally  ne- 
glecting the  hungry  and  necessitous  poor.  Upon  this  oc- 
casion, one  repeated  that  known  saying  among  the  Jewish 
rabbins.  Blessed  is  he  that  shall  eat  bread  in  the  kingdom 
of  God  ;  that  is,  it  is  much  happier  to  be  feasted  by  God 
in  his  kingdom  than  by  any  man  on  earth.  To  this  Christ 
replied  by  a  simihtude,!  confirming  the  truth  of  what  that 
person  said ;  but  observing,  at  the  same  time,  that  this 
heavenly  feast  was  what  they  had  often  been  invited  to, 
but  still  rejected  the  kind  invitation,  preferring  their  own 
worldly  designs  and  advantages  before  it,  for  which  they 
were  rejected,  and  tlieir  room  supplied  by  strangers. 


*  SaSbath-day.  The  holy  Jesus,  that  he  might  draw  off  and  separate  Christia- 
nity from  the  yoke  of  ceremonies,  by  abolishing  and  taking  off  the  strictest  Mosaical 
rites,  chose  to  do  many  of  his  miracles  upon  the  sabbath,  that  he  might  do  the 
v/ork  of  abrogation  and  institution  both  at  once.  For  though  upon  all  days  Christ 
v/rought  miracles,  yet  many  reasons  determined  him  to  a  more  frequent  working 
upon  days  of  public  ceremony  and  convention. 

■\  Similitude.     See  Luke  xiv.  16 


of  the  Holy  Bible.  339 

Going  from  the  Pharisee's  house,  where  he  had  dined, 
he  was  attended  by  a  vast  concourse  of  people,  whom  he 
informed  what  they  must  expect,  if  they  intended  to  be 
his  disciples.  *'  He*  that  doth  not  prefer  me,  says  he, 
before  all  that  is  nearest  to  him,  nay  and  life  too,  is  not 
worthy  to  be  my  disciple.  And  whosoever  doth  not  come 
with  a  preparation  of  mind  to  suffer  any  thing  rather  than 
part  with  me,  is  not  fit  to  engage  with  me.  For  as  he 
that  begins  to  build,  and  hath  not  a  stock  to  hold  out, 
leaves^his  work  imperfect :  or  as  he  that  designs  a  war,  and 
hath  not  men  and  money  enough  to  go  through  with  it, 
had  better  never  engage  in  it ;  so  he  that  undertakes  to  be 
a  Christian,  must  resolve  to  renounce  all  that  is  precious 
to  him  in  this  world,  or  else  he  will  not  be  able  to  persevere 
to  the  end. 

The  winter  now  approaching,  and  the  Jews'  feast  of 
dedication  being  at  hand,  Jesus  went  up  to  Jei-usalem  to 
the  feast,  where  he  preached  in  Solomon's  porch. f  The 
Jews  still  jealous  of  the  great  influence  he  had  over  the 
people,  attempted  to  seize  him;  but  he  was  aware  of  their 
design  :  for  retiring  from  thence,  he  went  beyond  Jor- 
dan, where  he  taught  the  people  in  an  elegant  and  persua- 
sive discourse  concerning  the  mercy  of  God  in  accepting 
penitents,  in  that  admirable  parable  of  the  prodigal  Son ; 
whose  father  having  heaped  up  a  fortune,  at  the  importu- 
nity of  his  youngest  son,  divided  his  substance  between 
his  two  children.  The  youngest  took  his  part,  and  imme- 
diately set  out  to  visit  distant  countries,  where  in  a  short 
time  and  in  luxurious  living  he  spent  that  wealth  his  pa- 
rent had  given  him.  When  he  had  spent  all,  a  dreadful 
famine  afflicted  that  country  ;  in  vain  he  applied  to  those 
that  had  shared  in  the  consumption  of  his  fortune ;  they 
are  as  much  strangers  to  him  now,  as  he  was  to  grace  in 
the  midst  of  his  jwodigahty.  Hunger,  an  excellent  moni- 
tor, soon  instructed  him  what  to  do ;  he  addressed  him- 


•  He.     Luke  xi.  26.     Matt.  x.  ST. 

■\  Porch.    Solomon's  porch  was  that  part  of  the  temple  which  stood  iQ^ 
from  the  first  ruius. 


;?40  A  Complete  History 

self  to  a  person,  from  whom  he  received  no  other  comfort 
than  an  offer  of  tending  his  swine.  Want  of  bread  com- 
pelled him,  and  he  accepted  the  offer,  and  would  gladly 
have  shared  with  them  in  their  diet  of  husk's  and  acorns. 
Whilst  he  meditated  on  his  sad  condition,  necessity  re- 
duced him  to  his  reason,  and  the  only  means  left  to  redress 
his  misery.  He  acknowledged  his  sin  against  his  heavenly 
and  earthly  fathers,  then  his  own  un worthiness  to  be  ad- 
mitted to  mercy,  and  lastly  to  be  restored  to  favour. 
Armed  with  this  resolution,  he  directed  his  steps  towards 
his  injured  father's  house.  The  tender  parent  discovered 
the  miserable  object,  and  with  eager  fondness  ran  to  him, 
embraced  and  kissed  him,  and  reinstated  him  in  his  pa- 
ternal love  ;  proclaiming  a  jubilee  in  his  family  for  the 
return  of  this  prodigal,  who  having  been  dead  and  lost 
in  sin,  was  nov/  alive  again  to  repentance  and  holiness  of 
life. 

Then  he  discourses  of  the  design  of  the  Messiah  com- 
ing into  the  world,  to  recover  men  from  their  sin  and 
danger,  in  the  piirables  of  the  lost  sheep  and  piece  of 
anoney.  After  this  he  taught  them  to  employ  their  pre- 
sent opportunities  and  estates,  by  laying  them  out  in  acts 
G(f  mercy  and  religion,  that  when  their  souls  shall  be  dis- 
missed from  this  life,  they  may  be  entertained  in  ever- 
lasting habitations.  This  he  inforced  under  the  figure  of 
an  unjust,  but  prudent  steward,  "  who  having  abused 
his  trust  by  wasting  and  embezzling  his  master's  goods, 
is  called  to  make  up  his  accounts,  for  he  was  no  longer 
to  be  retained  under  the  character  of  steward.  This 
summons  presented  to  his  anxious  thoughts  the  sad  pros- 
pect of  a  miserable  poverty.  He  thought  it  below  the 
dignity  of  his  character  to  work,  and  he  was  ashamed 
to  beg.  To  provide  therefore  against  the  approaching 
storm,  he  sends  for  his  master's  debtors,  and  asked  them 
what  they  ovvcd  in  goods  or  rent.  T'he  first  tells  him  he 
owed  a  hundred  measures  of  oil.  He  bids  him  take  his 
bilt  with  speed  and  make  it  only  fifty  ;  and  so  in  propor- 
tion he  accounts  with  the  rest.  This  the  unjust  steward 
did  in  hopes  of  being  relieved  by  his  master's  debtors 
when  he  was  discarded  his  service."  By  which  par  ibie 
©ur  Saviour  shews,  how  much  more  provident  worldly 


of  the  Holy  Bible.  341 

men  are  to  secure  something  for  the  remainder  of  their 
life,  than  the  sons  of  Hght  who  are  born  to  be  injured  and 
abused  here ;  yet  from  hence,  he  teaches  them  how  to  se- 
cure friends,  which  shall  continue  long  beyond  this  tran- 
sitory world.  Therefore  he  advises  them  to  make  provi- 
sion *  for  themselves,  by  so  using  the  fading  wealth,  with 
\vhich  they  are  intrusted  here,  that  when  these  transitory 
comforts  shall  forsake  them,  they  may  be  received  into 
heaven. 

Wherever  the  blessed  Saviour  of  the  world  went,  the 
fame  of  his  miracles  and  doctrine  attracted  to  him  a  vast 
retinue,  some  out  of  curiosity,  others  out  of  necessity 
still  following  him,  but  none  so  diligently  watched,  or 
rather  pursued  him,  as  the  Pharisees,  who  most  indus- 
triously laid  hold  on  all  opportunities  to  accuse  him. 
The  most  ensnaring  question  they  could  think  of,  was 
that  of  divorces ;  whether  it  was  lawful  for  a  man  upori 
every  occasion  to  put  away  his  wife.  Jesus  limiting  the 
permissions  of  these  separations  to  the  case  of  fornication 
only,  tells  them,  "  Ye  cannot  but  remember  the  strict 
union  between  man  and  wife,  which  was  appointed  by 
God  in  the  creation  ;  where  as  soon  as  they  were  both 
created,  this  was  determined,  that  man  was  to  forsake  all 
and  ctcave  to  his  wife,  continuing  as  inseparably  with 
her  as  if  she  were  part  of  his  own  flesh.  And  therefore 
since  they  are  thus  directed  by  God,  this  divine  institu- 
tion ought  not  to  be  altered  by  man."  The  Pharisees 
thinking  they  now  had  the  advantage  of  the  argument, 
object  to  the  precept  f  of  Moses,  wherein  he  allow-ed  the 


•  Provision.     See  Luke  xvi.  9. 

t  Precept.  Deiit.  xxiv.  1,  2,  3.  The  words  in  St.  Matt.  xix.  7,  are^  ♦'  Why- 
then  did  Moses  command  to  give  a  writing  of  divorce?'  In  Deut.  xxiv.  1,  they 
are  somewhat  different,  "  Let  him  write  her  a  bill  of  divorcement."  These  ver- 
sions seem  to  make  Moses  and  our  blessed  Saviour  to  authorize  the  giving  of  bills 
of  divorce;  whence  Libertines  and  Jews  may  think  they  have  a  liberty  to  put 
away  their  wives,  and  look  upon  that  custom  as  an  express  command  of  God. 
But  the  translators  have  not  been  exact  enough  in  rendering  the  words  of  the 
original,  which  signifies  sometimes  a  command,  sometimes  a  permission.  A.s 
when  David  says,  2  Sam.  xvi.  10,  "  What  have  I  to  do  with  you,  ye  sons  of 
Zeruiah  ?  Let  him  curse,  &c."    And  as  when  God  says,  Isai.  xiii.  3,  "  That  her 


342  A  Complete  History 

husband  in  some  cases  to  give  a  bill  of  divorce  to  the 
"wife,  in  this  manner  permitting  him  to  put  her  away.  In 
answer  to  this  Jesus  replies  thus ;  "  God  in  the  Mosaical 
economy,  knowing  your  obstinacy  and  perverse  inclina- 
tions, lest  you  should  run  into  greater  sins,  allowed  a 
dispensation  in  this  point,  by  tolerating  divorces.  But 
this  you  see  was  very  different  from  the  appointment  of 
God  in  the  first  institution  of  marriage.  And  accord- 
ingly I  now  determine,  that  whosoever  shall  use  that 
liberty  so  frequent  among  you,  to  put  away  his  wife  for 
any  lesser  cause  than  that  of  fornication,  and  then  thinks 
him.self  free  to  marry  again,  that  man  is  guilty  of  adul- 
tery in  so  doing,  and  so  is  he  that  marrieth  her  that  is  di- 
vorced, for  he  marricih  another  man's  wife,  which  is  com- 
mitting adultery." 

After  this,  discoursing  on  God's  wise  dispensation  of  the 
good  things  of  this  world,  he  shewed  by  way  of  parable 
that  we  cannot  easily  enjoy  a  heaven  here  and  hereafter ; 
and  that  the  infelicities  of  our  lives,  if  we  are  pious,  shall 
end  in  a  blessed  condition.  This  he  exemplified  in  the 
parable*  of  a  rich  man  and  a  poor  one.     "  The  rich  man 


commanded  his  sanctified  ones,  and  called  his  mighty  ones  for  his  anger."  Where 
it  is  impossible  they  can  signify  command,  since  God  so  expressly  forbids  to 
curse  the  king,  and  since  he  is  not  capable  of  commanding  tyranny,  as  some  have 
well  observed.  These  words  also  sometimes  signify  a  promise,  as  Psal.  cxxxifi. 
3,  where  it  is  evident  we  must  translate,  "  For  God  has  promised  the  blessing, 
and  not  God  has  commanded  the  blessing."  The  same  amendment  must  be  made 
John  X.  18,  "  This  promise  (not  this  commandment)  I  received  of  my  Father." 
And  John  xii.  and  xv.  "  And  I  know  that  his  promise  is  everlasting  life."  For 
it  was  not  a  commandment  which  the  Son  received  from  the  Father,  "  That  if  he 
did  lay  down  his  life  he  might  take  it  up  again,"  but  a  promise  mentioned,  Ps. 
xvi.  10,  "  Thou  wilt  not  suffer  thine  holy  one  to  see  corruption  ;"  and  life  eternal 
is  also  a  promise  and  not  a  commandment.  Therefore  when  these  expressions, 
which  signify  different  things,  do  occur,  we  ought  to  have  regard  to  the  sub- 
ject treated  on,  and  since  our  Saviour  expressly  calls  what  Moses  did  in  this  mat- 
ter only  a  permission,  Matt.  xix.  8,  and  mentions  the  first  marriage,  which  was 
quite  contrary  to  a  divorce,  we  should  translate,  "  Why  then  did  Moses  suffer  to 
give  a  bill  of  divorcement?" 

•  Parable.     Some  will  have  this  to  be  a  true  story,  and  not  a  similitude  ;  of 
tyhich  number  is  Euthymius,  who  from  the  tradition  of  the  Hebrews  nametii 


of  the  Holy  Bible.  343 

abounded  in  all  the  comforts  the  world  could  afford,  which 
he  selfishly  applied  to  the  purposes  of  his  own  pride  and 
luxury,  squandering  away  the  wealth  of  princes  to  gratify 
his  wanton  appetite.  Whilst  on  the  contrary,  Lazarus, 
poor,  sick  and  afflicted,  in  vain  begs  the  fragments  of  his 
extravagancies  to  support  him.  At  length  wearied  with 
cares  and  worn  out  with  diseases,  Lazarus  dies,  and  is  by 
a  guard  of  angels  safely  conveyed  to  Abraham's  bosom, 
where  he  receives  the  recompence  of  the  reward.  Nor  can 
the  rich  man's  weahh  bribe  the  impartial  hand  of  Divine 
Justice  ;  all  his  earthly  power  cannot  screen  him  from  the 
all-searching  eye  of  that  just  Judge,  who  without  regard  to 
his  superior  station,  summoned  him  to  appear  at  his  aw- 
ful tribunal.  He  also  dies,  but  a  scene  ensues  far  dif- 
ferent from  that  of  Lazarus.  Horrible  fiends  instantly 
drag  him  down  to  the  abyss  of  horror  and  eternal 
pain ;  where  lifting  up  his  eyes  to  heaven  he  sees 
Lazarus  enfolded  in  the  arms  of  Abraham,  whilst  him- 
self is  afflicted  with  imintermitting  torments.  In  vain 
he  begs  for  water  to  cool  his  scorched  tongue;  his 
doom  is  passed,  which  nothing  can  reverse.  Abraham 
rebukes  his  importunate  request  with  a  mild  reply ;  Son, 
says  he,  all  thy  portion  of  abundance  and  prosperity,  of 
uninterrupted  ease  and  felicity,  thou  hast  already  enjoyed 
in  thy  life-time,  and  spent  upon  thyself  without  commu- 
nicating them  to  any  that  wanted  relief;  and  on  the 
other  side,  Lazarus  has  had  all  his  portion  of  afflictions 
already,  and  now  it  is  but  just  that  he  should  have  his 
Jbliss,  and  thou  thy  torment.  But  besides,  there  is  an 
irreversible  decree  passed  upon  thee,  and  it  is  im- 
possible for  any  to  release  thee."  Finding  no  hopes 
for  himself,  he  interceded  for  his  relations  left  behiiid 
him,  wiio  by  some  seasonable  admonition  might  be  cau- 
tioned from  coming  into  this  place  of  torment.  Abra- 
ham tells  him,  they  have  Moses  and  the  prophets  for  their 
guides  and  instructors ;    besides,  Lazarus  could  no  more 


him  Nymensis.  But  there  are  more  of  a  contrary  opinion,  and  who  can  prove 
that  the  title  of  this  passage  of  Luke  xvi.  19,  is  called,  <'  a  parable  of  a  king  of 
flfesh  and  blood." 


344  ji  Complete  History 

have  liberty  to  quit  the  joys  of  heaven  to  go  on  this  er- 
rand to  his  kindred,  than  himself  could  be  released  from 
his  irremediable  pains. 

The  conclusion  of  this  affecting  parable,  besides  the 
moral  of  the  wise  distribution  of  our  goods  to  the  neces- 
sitous, declares  also  this  important  truth,  that  the  ordinary 
means  of  salvation  are  the  express  revelation  of  Scripture j 
and  the  ordinances  of  God's  appointment ;  and  whoso- 
ever neglects  these  shall  not  be  supplied  with  means  ex- 
traordinary; or  if  he  were  indulged  with  them,  they  would 
be  totally  ineffectual. 

Among  the  many  instances  of  human  frailty  which 
daily  came  under  his  inspection,  he  took  special  no- 
tice of  the  Pharisaical  pride,  which,  through  a  con- 
ceited  opinion  of  mistaken  perfection,  made  men  care- 
lessly overlook  their  own  faults,  and  superciliously  cen- 
sure and  condemn  others.  This  the  blessed  Jesus  severely 
condemns  in  the  following  parabolical  discourse.  Two 
men  went  up  into  the  temple*  to  pray  ;  the  one  a  Pha- 
risee, the  other  a  Publican.  The  Pharisee  approaches 
with  praise  to  God,  but  contempt  of  his  brother ;  and 
boasting  of  his  virtues,  but  forgetting  his  sins,  he  thus 
presumptuously  addressed  himself :  I  thank  thee,  OGod, 
that  I  am  not  like  other  men,  guilty  of  extortion,  injus- 
tice, or  adultery  ;  or  like  this  vile  publican,  unworthy  to  ap- 
proach thee  :  I  fast  twicef  every  week,  and  pay  duly  my 
tithes  of  every  thing  which  I  possess.  Such  was  the  de- 
tail of  his  goodness,  such  the  only  foundation  of  his  hope 


*  Temple.  In  the  temple  there  were  two  courts,  one  for  the  Jews,  and  another 
for  the  Gentile  Proseljtes  that  lived  among  them.  Of  these  Gentile  Proselytes 
there  were  two  sorts ;  the  proselytes  of  righteousness,  who  were  those  that  had 
undertaken  the  whole  law,  and  were  circumcised  ;  and  the  Gentile  proselytes  of 
the  gate.  The  former  of  these  were  admitted  with  the  Jews  into  the  inner- 
court  ;  but  the  latter,  which  were  not  circumcised,  were  by  the  Jews  so  far  account- 
ed*inclean,  according  to  the  law,  that  they  were  not  permitted  to  come  into  that 
court  of  the  temple  called  Holy,  where  the  Jews  were  ;  and  in  that  court,  where 
these  latter  Gentiles  worshipped  the  Jews  kept  a  market. 

f  Tnxiice.  That  is,  every  Monday  and  Thursday,  the  second  and  fifth  dayS  of 
the  week,  on  v,-hich  they  were  wont  to  hear  the  law  read  in  their  syhagogties. 


of  the  Ilohj  Bible.  345 

towards  God.  His  devotions,  it  such  they  may  be  called, 
contained  not  a  siiigl'-  petition;  and,  though  he  pretended 
to  thank  God,  his  object  was  only  to  compliment  him- 
self. But  such  a  sacrifice  as  this  is  an  abomination  to  the 
Lord,  who  has  determined  that  "  no  flesh  shall  glory  in 
his  presence." 

The  humble  publican,  standing  at  an  awful  distance  in 
the  court  of  the  Gentiles,  with  a  dejected  heart  and  mo- 
dest penitence  deploring  his  sins,  not  daring  so  much  as 
to  lift  up  his  guilty  eyes  to  heaven,  but  laying  his  hand 
upon  his  unworthy,  yet  contrite  heart,  implores  God's 
mercy  on  him  a  sinful  wretch.  The  mercy  which  he 
asked,  he  obtained,  for  he  went  down  to  his  house  jusd- 
fied,  rather  than  the  other ;  he  returned  to  his  habitation 
in  peace,  having  obtained  acceptance  with  God.  To 
such  contrite,  broken-hearted  persons,  the  promises  of  the 
gospel  are  peculiarly  addressed:  "  Let  the  wicked  for- 
sake his  way,  and  the  unrighteous  man  his  thoughts  ;  and 
let  him  return  to  the  Lord,  and  he  will  have  mercy  upon 
him;  and  to  our  God,  for  he  will  abtmdantly  pardon." 
Such  was  the  encouraging  design  of  our  Saviour  in  this 
parable,  which  he  concluded  by  saying,  "  Every  one  that 
exalteth  himself  shall  be  abased ;  and  he  that  humbleth 
himself  shall  be  exalted." 

The  multitude,  perceiving  by  daily  experience,  the 
great  benefit  that  persons  of  adult  years  received  by  the 
bare  touch  of  our  blessed  Lord,  desirous  that  their  tender 
babes  might  also  share  in  the  blessing,  brought  their  in- 
fants to  partake  of  his  divine  benediction.  But  the  dis- 
ciples, thinking  it  below  the  dignity  of  their  master  to  take 
notice  of  such  little  children,  at  first  refused  admittance  to 
those  who  brought  them.  But  Jesus,  calling  for  the 
children,  chides  his  disciples  for  their  mistake  in  refusing 
them,  charging  them  to  introduce  them  for  the  future, 
adding  this  encouraging  observation,  "  That  of  such  was 
the  kingdom  of  heaven  ;"  intimating  by  it,  that  none  but 
such  as  were  endued  with  infant  simplicity  could  enjoy 
any  share  in  the  privileges  of  his  kingdom.  Then  laying 
his  hands  upon  them,  he  gave  them  his  blessing.  Happy 
infants  !  who  so  early  received  their  Saviour's  benediction 
in  order  to  a  larger  share  of  his  grace  for  the  future. 

Vol.  II.  Xx 


346  A  Complete  History 

As  lie  was  departing  from  the  place,  in  which  the  last 
occurrence  happened,  a  certain  person  came  running  to 
him,  evidently  with  much  eagerness,  and  with  profound 
veneration,  acknowledging  him  as  a  divine  teacher ;  for 
he  kneeled  down  at  his  feet,  and  desired  information 
from  him  on  a  subject  of  all  others  the  most  important.* 
"  Good  master,"  said  he,  *'  what  good  thing  shall  I  do, 
that  I  may  inherit  eternal  life  ?'*  Here,  then,  was  a  can- 
didate for  heaven,  of  a  most  promising  appearance  in- 
deed. He  was  young,  yet  not  addicted  to  sensual  plea- 
sures, for  he  attended  With  great  exactness  to  the  duties 
of  morality,  and  discovered  a  serious  concern  about  his 
future  state.  He  was  a  ruler,  a  magistrate  of  some  con- 
sequence, and  possessed  of  considerable  wealth.  Yet, 
very  unlike  the  generality  of  those  in  high  life,  he  ap- 
plied to  Jesus,  not  with  a  disposition  to  cavil,  but,  as  it 
should  seem,  with  a  desire  of  being  instructed  in  the  way 
of  salvation. 

The  case  was  hopeful:  and,  from  such  a  view  of  it, 
we  might  have  been  ready  to  conclude  the  man  a  real 
convert.  But  a  little  experience  will  teach  us,  not  to  be 
precipitate  in  our  judgment,  nor  to  rest  with  implicit 
confidence  in  any  favourable  circumstances.  Jesus,  who 
knew  perfectly  the  bent  of  his  mind,  dealt  with  him  in 
such  a  way  as  to  shew  his  true  character.  He  enquired, 
therefore,  why  he  had  given  him  the  title  of  "  good,*' 
since  it  properly  belonged  only  to  God.  He  did  not 
thereby  disclaim  it,  or  in  the  least  imply,  that  he  pos- 
scssed  not  the  attributes  of  Deity,  but  examined  on  what 
ground  tiie  amiable  youth  had  so  addressed  him,  and 
whether  he  had  done  it  on  a  full  conviction  of  his  dig- 
nity. The  ruler,  probably,  was  elated  with  a  conceit  of 
his  own  goodness,  and  his  ability  to  do  every  thing  re- 
quired :  on  which  account,  to  detect  his  erroneous  no- 
tions, and  evince  his  deficiencies,  Jesus  referred  him  to 
the  law,  assuring  him,  that  he  must  keep  the  command- 
ments in  order  to  attain  eternal  lite.  We  cannot  so  in- 
terpret this  declaration,  as  to  set  aside  the  necessity  of 


*  Important.    Matt.  xix.  16,  &c.     Mark  x.  17,  31.     Luke  xviii.  18,  30. 


of  the  Hohj  Bible.  347 

believing  in  the  Son  of  God  for  sahation,  or  to*iscribe 
to  man  a  eapacity,  in  Iiimself,  of  yielding  a  complete 
obedience  to  God.  But  there  is  a  peculiar  propriety  in 
j)utting  those,  who  boast  of  their  ou  n  righteousness  and 
strength,  upon  considering  the  extent  of  tlieir  duty.  We 
exhort  them  to  bring  forth  their  best  performances,  timt 
they  may  compare  them  with  the  appointed  rule,  and  to 
try  what  their  most  vigorous  exertions  can  effect.  "  Keep 
the  commandments  ;"  but  let  one  precept  as  well  as  ano- 
ther be  regarded,  and  that  in  the  utmost  extent,  so  as  to 
regulate  your  inward  affection,  no  less  than  your  out- 
ward practice.  Such  an  unfeigned  and  perfect  compli- 
ance is  required  from  you  at  all  times  and  in  all  circum- 
stances, without  weariness  or  interruption,  even  to  your 
latest  hour.  Upon  the  least  failure,  you  'ire  rendered  in- 
capable of  being  justified  by  the  works  of  the  law  ;  and 
you,  who  are  most  decent  and  orderly  in  your  conduct, 
can  obtain  forgiveness  no  otherwise  than  by  faith  in  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  through  the  blood  of  his  cross. 

This  }oung  person,  not  knowing  himelf  and  the  de» 
fects  of  his  obedience,  presumptuously  boasted  that  he 
had,  from  his  earliest  years,  performed  every  duty  en- 
joined in  the  second  table,  to  which  particularly  Jesus 
referred  him :  and,  in  the  vain  confidence  of  his  own  suf- 
ficiency, he  then  disked,  whether  any  thing  further  could 
be  demanded  of  him.  Ah  !  how  gross  the  darkness,  how 
fatal  the  delusion,  by  which  men  are  so  exalted  in  them- 
selves, as  to  say,  "  I  am  innocent,"  or,  "  What  lack  I 
yet !"  Jesus,  however,  looked  with  compassionate  regard 
on  the  ruler,  whose  manners  and  disposition,  in  some 
respects,  might  be  peculiarly  engaging.  But,  as  he  re- 
sisted conviction  in  one  way,  he  proved  him  in  another, 
requiring  him  to  give  a  special  testimony  of  his  entire 
submission  to  him.  "  One  thing,"  said  he,  "  thou  lack- 
est :  go,  and  sell  whatsoever  thou  hast,  and  give  to  the 
poor  ;  and  thou  shalt  have  treasure  in  heaven  ;  and  come, 
take  up  the  cross,  and  follow^  me."  The  strict  injunc- 
tion \\  as  more  than  the  youth  could  bear,  but  not  more 
than  Jesus  had  a  right  to  ordain  :  nor  would  those  refuse 
to  comply  with  it,  who  are  truly  sensible  of  their  own 
demerit  and  the  worth  of  the  Saviour.    The  merchant, 


S48  J  Complete  History 

who  finds  "  the  one  pearl  of  great  price,"  will  sell  all 
that  he  has,  and  buy  it  :^  for  he  will  say,  "  I  count  all 
things  but  loss  for  the  excellency  of  the  knowledge  of 
Christ  Jesus  my  Lord."!  Not  so  this  man  of  fortune. 
He  was  disappointed,  grieved,  confounded  ;  and  instantly 
he  betrayed  the  secret  insincerity  of  his  heart,  which 
Jesus  meant  to  detect  by  the  trial  here  proposed.  He 
gave  up  all  further  enquiries  about  the  religion  of  the 
gospel ;  "  he  went  away  sorrowful,"  for  this  reason  chief- 
ly, that  he  was  attached  to  the  world,  under  all  his  pro- 
mising appearances  ;  and  he  foolishly  preferred  the  enjoy- 
ment of  his  large  possessions  to  the  grace  and  salvation 
of  Jesus.   ^ 

When  the  apostles  heard  their  master  commanding  the 
young  man  to  sell  all,  and  give  to  the  poor,  and  foliow 
him,  Peter,  in  the  name  of  the  rest,  began  to  think  it  \vas 
their  own  case,  and  the  promise  also  might  concern  them, 
and  asking  him  this  question,  ''  What  shall  we  have,  vv^ho 
have  forsaken  all,  and  followed  thee  ?"  Jesus  answered, 
Ij  .  .  ,  "  That  they  should  sit  upon  twelve  thrones,  judging  the 
twelve  tribes  of  Israel. "  And  extending  this  blessing  to 
every  disciple  that  should  forsake  either  house,  wife,  or 
children,  or  any  advantage  and  possession  in  this  life,  for 
his  or  the  gospel's  sake,  he  promises  them  the  reward  of 
an  hundred-fold  by  way  of  present  comfort,  and  in  the 
world  to  come  glories  and  possessions  in  fruition  and  re- 
dundancy :  "  For  they  that  are  last  shall  be  first,  and  the 
first  shall  be  last."  The  despised  people  of  this  world 
shall  reign  like  kings,  and  their  contempt  of  it  shall  swell 
up  to  an  endless  glory,  and  their  poverty  to  an  eternal 
satisfaction.  And  these  rewards  shall  not  be  accounted 
according  to  the  privileges  of  nations,  or  priority  of  vo- 
cation, but  readiness  of  mind  and  obedience,  and  sedulity 
of  operation  after  being  called. 

But  lest  the  disciples  should  not  perfectly  understand 
what  he  said  of  the  "  last  being  first,  and  the  first  last," 
he  explains  himself  in  the  following  parable :  "A  cer- 
tain landlord,  whose  care  was  as  early  as  the  rising-sun, 

*  It.  Matt.  xiii.  46.  i  Lord.  Phil.  iii.  8. 


of  the  IIoUj  Bible,  349 

went  out  betimes  to  the  market-place,  ^\hcrc  day-la- 
bourers kept  their  stand  in  expectation  of  employment, 
to  hire  labourers  to  work  in  his  vineyard,  and  having 
agreed  with  a  certain  number  of  them  for  a  penny  *  a 
da)',  he  set  them  to  work.  Wanting  still  more  help,  he 
went  out  about  the  third  hour,  f  and  in  the  usual  place  he 
found  several  standing  there  to  be  hired,  with  whom  he 
also  agreed  in  proportion  to  the  time.  Again  about  the 
sixth  and  ninth  hour  %  he  went  out,  and  hired  more  :  and 
about  the  eleventh  hour  \  he  did  the  same.  At  night  he 
bid  his  steward  call  the  hibourers,  and  pay  them  ;  and  be- 
ginning with  them  that  were  last  hired,  he  paid  them  the 
Avhole  day's  wages:  but  when  they  came  who  were  first 
hired,  and  had  laboured  from  the  morning,  they  expected 
to  receive  more  than  those  who  came  late  into  the  vine- 
}ard  ;  but  they  were  disappointed,  for  they  received  no 
more  than  w  hat  they  were  hired  for.  Upon  which  they 
murmur,  saying,  Thou  hast  given  to  them  as  much  wages 
as  to  us  who  have  laboured  all  the  day  long.  The  owner 
of  the  vineyard  tells  them  he  paid  them  according  to  their 
agreement ;  and  as  for  those  who  came  later  to  work,  it 
was  an  act  of  generosity  in  himself  to  reward  them  as  he 
pleased,  it  being  their  misfortune  that  they  were  not  sooner 
employed,  and  that  being  master  of  his  own  substance  he 
might  dispense  it  as  he  thought  fit,  and  give  as  much  to 
them  that  came  at  the  eleventh  hour  as  to  those  that  came 
first,  and  who  laboured  as  honestly  for  the  time  as  they 
did.     Thus  the  last  shall  be  first,  and  first  last.|l 

Whilst  the  blessed  Jesus  was  in  Galilee,  he  receives  a 
message  from  the  two  female  disciples  and  sisters,  Martha 
and  Mary,  intreating  him  to  hasten  into  Bethany,  to  re- 


*  Penny.     Our  seven-pence  half-penny. 

-|-  Third  hour.     About  our  nine  of  the  clock  in  the  morning. 

I  Sixth  and  ninth  hour.  Twelve  of  the  clock  at  noon,  and  three  in  the  afternoon. 
§  Eleventh  hour.     About  five  in  the  evening. 

II  Last.  This  parable  relates  literally  to  the  case  of  the  Jews,  who  murmured 
that  the  same  church  privileges  should  be  extended  to  the  Gentiles  as  to  themselves: 
It  displays  also  the  sovereignty  of  God  in  the  bestowmevt  of  all  his  favours. 


350  A  Complete  History 

lieve  their  sick  brother  Lazarus,  who  vvas  in  itiiminent 
danger.  But  he  deferred*  his  going  till Lazirus  was  dead  ; 
purposing  to  make  an  uncommon  display  of  his  divine 
power  and  goodness  in  a  glorious  miracle,  which  should 
produce  much  ho:iour  to  God.  Therefore,  after  two  days' 
delay,  he  called  his  disciples  to  accompany  him  into  Judea. 
When  Jesus  arrived  at  Bethany,  Lazarus,  who  had  been 
dead  four  days,  was  buried,  and  in  a  state  of  putrefaction. 
Martha  and  Mary  hearing  of  their  Lord's  approach,  go 
out  to  meet  him  ;  and  pouring  out  a  flood  of  pious  tears  for 
their  dear  brother,  throw  themselves  at  his  feet,  wishing 
he  had  arrived  sooner,  for  then  they  were  assured  their 
brother  would  not  have  died.  At  the  sight  of  these 
mourning  sisters,  Jesus  suffered  the  passions  of  pity  and 
humanity,  which  after  some  perturbation  of  mind  broke 
into  tears.  After  this  melancholy  salutation,  Jesus  having, 
by  his  words  of  comfort,  strengthened  the  faith  of  the  two 
sisters,  he  desired  to  be  conducted  to  the  place  where  La- 
zarus was  buried,  and  commanding  the  stone  to  be  re- 
moved from  the  grave,  making  an  address  of  adoration 
and  thanksgiving  to  his  Father  for  his  continual  readiness 
to  hear  him,  he  says,  wdth  aloud  voice,  "  Lazarus,  come 
forth  I"  and  he  that  was  dead,  came  forth  from  his  bed 
of  darkness,  v/ith  his  grave-clothes  on,  who,  being  loosed 
by  some  of  the  numerous  spectators,  at  the  command  of 
Jesus,  went  to  his  habitation  at  Bethanv. 

The  performance  of  this  niiracle  affected  the  multitude 
very  differently  ;  some  were  convinced,  and  believed  on 
him ;  ofhers  were  filled  with  wonder,  yet  maliciously  went 
and  informed  the  Pharisees  ;  who,  upon  that  advice,  sum- 
moned their  great  council,  whose  solemn  cognizance  was 
for  the  greater  causes  of  prophets,  kings,  and  of  the  holy 
law :  where  one  breaking  silence,  says,  "  It  is  not  a  time 
for  us  to  sit  still,  and  permit  this  man  to  proceed  in  the 
performance  of  these  miracles  without  interruption  :  for 
if  we  suffer  him,  all  men  will  believe  on  him,  and  the  Ro- 


*  Deferred.    See  John  xi.  4, 5,  6,  &c; 


of  the  Holy  Bible.  3Sl 

mans*  will  destroy  both  our  tcinple  and  nation,  our  relr- 
gion  and  government,  and  n  holly  ensLtve  iis."  At  this 
great  assembly  it  was  that  Caiaphasthe  High-priest  prophe- 
siedf  that  one  should  die  tor  the  people,  and  that  the  whole 
nation  perish  not.  And  from  this  time  they  entered  into 
a  combination,  resolving  to  put  him  to  death.  But  Jesus 
knowing  they  had  passed  a  decretory  sentence  against 
him,  did  not  perform  any. public  miracles  among  the  peo- 
ple of  Judea,  but  retired  to  the  city  of  Ephraim,  in  the 
tribe  of  Judah,  near  the  desart,  where  he  continued  a  few 
days  till  the  time  of  the  passovcr. 

Now  u  lien  the  feast  of  the  passover  was  nigh  at  hand, 
as  Jesus  with  his  disciples  was  going  to  Jerusalem,  he 
informed  them  what  the  event  of  his  journey  would  be, 
that  the  Jews  should  deliver  him  to  the  Gentiles;  that 
they  should  scourge  him,  and  mock  him,  and  crucify  him, 
and  the  third  day  he  should  rise  again.  Upon  this  men- 
tion of  his  resurrection,  which  they  vainly  presumed 
would  be  the  time  of  his  taking  all  his  greatness  upon 
him,  the  mother;}:  of  James  and  John  came  to  Jesus,  and 
prostrating  herself  at  his  feet,  desired  that  her  sons  might 
have  the  first  places  in  his  kingdom  :  for  all  the  discourses 
of  his  passion,  or  intimations  of  the  spiritual  nature  of  his 
kingdom  had  not  yet  corrected  their  false  apprehensions  of 
it,  as  a  state  of  temporal  grandeur.  But  Jesus,  who  knew 
the  weakness  of  their  understandings  on  this  head,  gave 


•  Kamans.  The  Jewish  council,  seeing  the  miracles  which  Jesus  did,  diis  espe- 
cially of  raising  Lazarus,  did  very  much  fear  that  professing  himself  to  be  the  Mes- 
siah, he  would  soon  attempt  to  make  himself  king,  and  hy  the  reputation  which  he 
had  gained  among  the  people,  be  quickly  assisted  in  it,  if  he  were  not  timely  hin- 
dered. If  this  w^ere  done,  the  consequence  would  be  that  the  Romans,  to  whom 
they  were  already  subject,  looking  upon  this  as  a  rebellion,  would  come  with  an  ar- 
my, and  utterly  destroy  them. 

f  Prophesied.     See  John  xi.  50,  51.  Gaiaphas  spake  in  words  that  were  a  direct 
prophecy  of  what  God  had  now  designed  should  come  to  pass  :  not  that  he  meant 
itjn  that  sense,  or  thought  at  all  of  prophesying  ;  but  being  in  a  place  of  authority 
among  the  Jews  at  that  time,  he  was  a  fit  person  for  God  to  make  use  of  as  his  mi 
nister  to  foretel  the  purpose  of  God,  that  Christ  should  die  for  the  Jews. 

\  Mother.    See  Matt.xx.  20,  &c. 


352  *4  Complete  His  fori/ 

them  an  answer  adapted  to  their  present  conceptions,  and 
future  condition,  telling  them,  "  That  if  they  desired  the 
first  post  of  honour  in  his  kingdom,  and  to  be  nearest  his 
person,  they  must  take  the  greatest  share  of  the  bitter  cup 
of  his  sufferings,  and  then  sit  in  his  kingdom,  if  his  hea- 
venly Father  had  prepared  it  for  them  :  but  as  to  any  pri. 
vilege  of  honour  or  dignity  above  others,  they  to  whom 
his  Father  had  designed  it  should  certainly  enjoy  it." 
This  excited  the  displeasure  of  the  other  apostles,  who 
were  offended  with  the  ambition  of  the  two  brothers. 
But  Jesus,  the  true  peace-maker,  to  prevent  any  misun- 
derstanding between  them,  dissuades  them  from  all 
thoughts  of  supremacy,  by  telling  them,  "  That  though 
the  rulers  or  kings  of  the  nations  were  served  and  bene- 
fited by  their  subjects,  and  received  secular  advantages 
by  their  pre-eminences,  and  that  the  emperors  in  like 
manner  were  over  them,  yet  preference  among  them  was 
to  be  attended  with  all  the  offices  of  servile  humility,  and 
that  they  must  not  expect  to  live  after  the  manner  of  the 
heathen  princes  :  for  he  among  them  that  affected  to  be 
supreme,  must  be  the  servant  of  all  the  rest ;  and  that 
Christ's  kingdom  here  is  not  to  be  administered  in  a 
way  from  which  they  mit;ht  derive  splendor  or  profit, 
but  in  a  way  of  charity  ;  serving,  relieving,  providing, 
and  dying,  for  his  people,  instead  of  requiring  any  such 
offices  from  them."* 

The  blessed  Jesus  proceeding  from  hence  to  Jericho, 
with  the  usual  attendance  of  the  multitude,  a  fresh  object 
of  misery  presents  itself,  on  which  he  might  exercise  his 


*  Tbem.  On  a  similar  occasion,  our  Lord  reproved  the  ambition  of  the  dis- 
csiples,  by  taking  a  little  child ;  and  placing  him  in  the  midst  of  them,  he  said, 
I  declare  it  to  you  as  a  most  solemn  and  important  truth,  "  That  except  ye  be  con- 
verted and  turned  from  these  ambitious  and  carnal  views,  and  become  like  little 
children  in  lowliness  and  meekness,  you  will  be  so  far  from  having  any  distinguish- 
ed rank  among  my  subj  ects,  that  ye  shall  by  no  means  so  much  as  enter  at  all  into 
my  kingdom,  or  enjoy  any  of  its  blessings." 

It  is  but  justice  to  the  Apostles  to  obsei-ve,  that  after  the  ascension  of  Christ, 
and  their  reception  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  they  were  entirely  cured  of  the  disease  of 
ambition,  and  gladly  took  up  their  cross,  following  their  humble  leader. 


of  the  Holy  Bible.  353 

compassion  and  power.  Poor  Bartlmasus,  *  the  son  of 
Tiniieus,  who  had  long  sat  on  the  road,  an  humble  sup- 
plicant to  all  charitable  passeusjers  for  relief,  hearing  the 
noise  of  the  vast  erowd  that  passed  by,  asked  the  mean- 
ing of  that  numerous  concourse  ;  and  being  informed  that 
Jesus  of  Nazareth  was  among  them,  with  strong  and  im- 
patient faith  he  cried,  "  Jesus,  thou  Son  of  David,  have 
mercy  upon  me?"  The  standers-by  bid  him  forbear  his 
clamorous  noise,  supposing  he  begged  an  alms  :  but  the 
gift  he  desired  was  of  greater  moment,  and  therefore  he 
repeats  his  importunity,  and  cries,  *'  O  Son  of  David 
have  mercy  upon  me?"  Upon  this  Jesus  stopped,  antj 
ordering  the  blind  man  to  be  brought  to  him,  demands  of 
him  the  reason  of  his  importunate  cries  ;  who  in  a  humble 
manner  replied,  "Lord,  restore  my  long-lost  sight  ?"  He 
had  no  sooner  spoken,  than  the  compassionate  Jesus  an- 
swered his  request ;  for  straightway  his  eyes  receive  the 
ivelcome  light,  and  he  with  joy  makes  one  of  the  admiring 
crowd  that  followed  their  Saviour. 

As  the  holy  Jesus  passed  through  Jericho,f  a  certain 
man  named  Zaccheus,  a  person  of  weaUh  and  figure  among 
the  publicans,  being  desirous  of  seeing  Jesus,  could  not 
gratii'y  his  curosity  in  the  crowd  because  he  was  low  of 
stature,  and  therefore  he  climbs  up  a  tree,  from  whence 
he  might  lake  a  full  view  and  survey  of  his  sacred  per- 
son.    Jesus,  observing  the  eager  zeal  of  this  curious  pub- 
lican, calls  to  him  to  descend,  and  invites  himself  to  his 
house.     The  overjoyed  Zaccheus,  proud  of  this  honour, 
hastens  to  receive  his  heavenly  guest  with  the  highest  ex- 
pressions of  love  and  respect ;  and  such  was  the  power  of 
divine  grace  upon  his  heart,  that  he  instantly  became  a 
remarkable  penitent,  and  thus  expresses  the  feelings  of  his 
mind  :  '*  Lord,  the  half  of  my  estate  I  give  to  the  poor; 
and  whomsoever  I  have  defrauded,  or  as  a  publican,  exact- 
ed from,  more  than  was  due,  I  am  ready  to  make,  accord- 
ing to  the  law,  a  four-fold  restitution."     This  confession 
and  repentance  was  the  greatest  entertainment  any  mortal 


"  Bartimsus.     See  Mark  x.  46,  &c. 
•f-  Jerkho.     See  Luke  xix.  1,  &c. 

Vol.  II.  Y  y 


354  A  Complete  History 

man  could  aflforcl  to  our  blessed  Lord,  who  in  return  g;ives 
him  this  gracious  reward,  "  This  day  are  the  mercies  of 
the  gospel  dispensed  to  thee,  Zaccheus,  as  being  a  believ- 
er, who,  thoui>h  a  publican,  art  one  to  whom  the  promises 
made  to  Abraham  appertain." 

About  this  time,  our  Saviour  being  not  far*  from  Jeru- 
salem, upon  occasion  of  his  disciples  apprehending  that  he 
would  shortly  take  upon  him  the  regal  authority  there, 
he  spake  this  parable  to  them :  "  A  certain  man,  heir  to 
a  great  kingdom,  took  a  long  journey  to  possess-]-  him- 
self of  it,  and  then  to  return  again  to  the  country  where 
he  ^\as  born,  and  over  which  he  was  to  reign.  And 
having  many  servants,  he  entrusted  each  of  them  with  a 
sumj  of  money  to  be  employed  in  trade  during  his  ab- 
sence, commanding  them  to  improve  it  to  the  best  ad- 
vantage against  his  return.  The  reason  of  his  journey  to 
this  distant  country  was,  because  his  countrymen,  over 
whom  he  was  to  reign,  opposed  themselves  contuma- 
ciously against  him,  and  disclaimed^  him  for  their  king. 
At  his  return,  he  first  examined  his  servants  M'ith  whom 
he  had  entrusted  his  talents  ;  he  rewarded  those  who  had 
improved  their  stock,  and  had  been  taidiful  in  their  trust, 
with  gifts  proportioned  to  their  capacities  and  improve- 
ments ;  but  the  negligent  servant,  who  had  slothfully 
spent  his  time  without  any  advantage,  was  condemned  to 
perpetual  confinement  and  darkness,  and  his  talent  trans- 
ferred to  him  who  had  most  advanced  the  interest  of  his 
prince   during    his   absence."     From  whence  arose  that 


*  Far.    See  Luke  xix.  11,  12,  8tc. 

f  Possess.     By  this  the  blessed  Jesus  hitimated  that  he  was  to  suffer,  and  rise 
and  go  to  heaven  to  be  installed  in  his  kingdom  there. 

I  Sum.  By  this  he  intimated  that  the  apostles  were,  after  his  departure,  to 
preach  to  the  Jews,  in  order  to  gain  them  to  Christ ;  and  to  visit  ail  their  cities 
before  he  shoiild  himself  appear  in  his  regal  dignity :  and  thus  also  were  all  infe- 
rior christians,  as  well  as  the  apostles,  to  employ  their  diligence  and  industry, 
and  according  to  their  talents  to  bring  in  some  increase  to  God. 

5  Disclaimed.  This  intimates  the  Jews  standing  out  against  the  faith,  as  it  was 
preached  to  them  by  the  apostles  after  the  resurrection. 


of  the  Hull/  Bible. 


n  ^'  *■ 


ehristiaii  nxiom,  "  To  liini  that  hath  sliall  be  given,  and 
IVoni  him  that  halh  not,  sliall  be  taken  away  even  what  he 
hath."  His  servants  having  thus  accounted  with  liini, 
he  proceeds  to  take  cognizance  ot"  those  rebellions  coun- 
trvnien  (whose  king  he  was  by  right)  who,  when  he  went 
to  be  inthroned  in  another  kingdom,  reilised  obedience 
to  him.  These  therefore  he  called  to  a  sevtre  account, 
and  commanding  them  to  be  put  to  the  sword,*  they  were 
executed  as  so  many  rebels. 

Alter  this,  going  from  Jericho,  he  cured  two  blind 
men  on  the  way.  And  six  days  before  the  passovcr,  he 
proceeded  to  Bethany,  where  he  was  liberally  entertained 
by  Simon  the  leper, f  being  accompanied  by  Martha, 
Mary,  and  Lazarus,  who  sat  at  the  table  with  Jesus. 
Mar3',t  to  add  to  the  grandeur  of  the  entertainment,  hav- 
ing a  vial  or  vase  of  very  costly  ointment, f^  poured||  it 
on  Jesus,  and  wiped  his  feet  with  her  hair.  The**  odour 
of  the  perfume  soon  diftlised  itself  through  every  part  of 


•  Su-ord.  This  was  the  fate  that  soon  befel  the  Jews  aftfer  our  blessed  Saviour's 
inauguration  in  his  kingdom  in  heaven. 

■j-  Leper.  It  is  not  probable  that  Simon  was  a  leper  at  this  time,  but  having 
1)een  so  at  a  former  period,  retained  the  name,  by  which  he  was  distinguished  from 
many  others  who  bore  the  name  of  Simon,  which  was  common  among  the  Jews. 

I  Mary.     This  was  Mary  ihe  sister  of  Lazarus,  not  Mary  Magdalen. 

5  Ointment.  This  is  by  the  best  interpreters  called  "  Nard-pistick,  or  genuine 
Nard,  free  from  all  mixture  or  adulteration,  which  was  a  very  great  rarity,  by 
reason  of  the  nine  sorts  of  herbs  which  (according  to  Pliny)  imitate  the  true 
Naixl. 

II  Poured.  The  word  in  St.  Mark,  ch.  xiv.  v.  3,  which  in  our  translation  is 
rendered  "  brake  the  box,"  is  improperly  applied,  and  remote  from  the  meaning 
of  the  original  Syntripsasa ;  as  also  is  the  word  Alabastron  unjustly  rendered  a 
Box  :  for  it  is  very  improbable  that  Mary  should  break  a  box  or  vessel  of  alabaster 
or  marble,  which  all  know  to  be  hard ;  nor  is  it  likely  it  was  in  the  form  of  a  box, 
but  rather  of  a  vial,  which  Mary  shaking  (for  that  is  the  proper  signification  of 
the  word  Syntripsasa)  in  order  to  break  the  coagulated  parts  of  the  rich  balsam, 
and  bring  it  into  a  liquid  state ;  she  then  poured  it  out,  and  so  anointed  Jesus's 
feet  with  it.  This  1  take  to  be  the  most  proper  way  of  rendering  to  these  words, 
both  according  to  the  present  occasion,  and  the  genuine  sense  of  them. 

*•  The.     SeeMatt.x^ivi.  6.    Mark. xiv.  3.     Johnxii.  4. 


S56  A  Complete  History 

the  house,  which  denoted  its  great  worth.  But  malice, 
which  never  long  wants  an  opportunity  of  shew  ing  itself, 
instructs  the  thief  and  traitor  Judas,  how  to  lay  hold  on  any 
occasion,  who  repines  at  the  vanity  of  this  expence,  (as  he 
pretended,)  because  it  might  have  been  sold  for  thrre  hun- 
dred pence,*  and  have  been  given  to  ^^he  poor.  But  Je- 
sus, who  knew  the  malice  of  Judas,  and  the  wickedness 
he  was  afterwards  to  perpetrate,  in  a  very  mild  reply,  tells 
them  all,  that  this  was  an  act  of  religion  in  Mary,  wha 
performed  this  as  a  fit  ceremony  to  solemnize  his  ap- 
proaching death,  after  which  men  used  to  be  embalmed 
with  perfumes  and  spices  :  This,  therefore,  as  an  act  of 
religion  was  at  this  time  more  seasonable  than  an  act  of 
charity  ;  for  of  the  poor,  said  he,  you  have  many  and  dai- 
ly objects  :  but  this  is  the  last  opportunity  she  could  have 
of  expressing  her  love  to  me,  v\  ho  am  suddenly  to  be  ta- 
ken from  you. 

It  being  presently  known  that  Lazarus,  whom  Jesus 
had  lately  raised  from  the  dead,  was  one  of  the  company 
that  was  treated  by  Simon  the  leper,  the  Jews  flocked  in 
great  numbers  to  see  him  on  whom  the  miracle  was 
wrought,  as  well  as  the  illustrious  person  who  performed 
it.  This  excited  much  uneasiness  in  the  jealous  San- 
hedrim, who  having  heard  that  the  resurrection  of  La- 
zarus, gave  occasion  to  a  number  of  the  Jews  to  believe 
on  Jesus,  they  immediately  consult  upon  the  destructionf 
of  Lazarus,  as  they  had  previously  done  concerning  that 
of  Christ,  t 


*  Toree  Hundred  Pence.     That  is  about  Ten  Pounds. 

■\  Destruction.  The  Jews,  enraged  to  perceive  many  converts  made  to  Christ 
by  the  miracle  of  his  raising  Lazarus,  determined  to  put  him  to  death:  but  Epi- 
phai'ius  reports  that  God,  in  his  providence,  was  pleased  to  preserve  him  as  a  mo- 
nument of  his  glories,  and  a  testimony  of  the  miracle  which  Jesus  performed  on 
him,  thirty  years  after  the  death  of  Jesus.     Epipbam.  contra  Mankb. 

\  Christ.  What  a  mixture  of  cruelty  and  folly  was  the  conspiracy  of  the  Pha- 
risees to  kill  Lazarus  ?  What  was  his  crime?  or  what  could  their  bopebe  ?  Erom 
what  death  could  not  Christ  have  delivered  him?  or  from  what  tomb  could  he 
Tiot  have  recalled  him  ?  Yet  something  like  this  is  the  madness  of  all  who  hate 
and  persecute  others,  for  being  the  trophies  of  the  Redeemer's  victory  and  graCe 

Doddridge  on  ^obn  xii.  10. 


of  the  IMij  Bible.  357 

The  next  clay,  being  the  fifth  before  the  passover,  Je- 
sus ciinic  to  the  foot  of  tlic  mount  of  Oiives,  :ind  sent  his 
disciples  to  Bethphage,  a  little  vilkigc  in  the  neighbour- 
hood, conimandiiig  them  to  unloose  an  ass*  and  a  colt, 
and  lo  bring  diem  to  him,  and  to  tell  the  owners  it  was 
done  for  the  Master's  service  ;  and  they  did  so.  And 
Mhen  they  brouglu  the  ass  to  Jesus,  he  rides  f  on  him  to 
Jerusalem  ;  and  the  people  having  notice  all  the  \\.\\  he 
passed  ol  his  approach,  took  palm-branches  in  iheir  hiu.ds, 
and  went  out  to  meet  him,  strewing  boughs  of  trees  and 
dieir  garments  in  the  road,  crying  out,  "  Hosannah  J  to 
the  Son  of  David:"  which  was  a  form  of  acclamation 
used  to  the  honour  of  God  in  great  assemblies  and  solem- 
nities, and  signifies  adoration  to  the  Son  of  David  by  the 
right  of  carrying  branches.  But  this  honour  was  so 
great  and  unusiial  to  be  rendered  even  to  kings,  that  the 
Pharisees,  knowing  this  to  be  an  appropriate  manner  of 
address  to  God,  said  one  to  another,  "  Hear  ye  what  these 
men  say  ?"  For  they  were  troubled  to  hear  the  people  pay 
such  reverence  to  Jesus,  being  alarmed  at  this  appearance 
of  his  growing  reputation. 


*  Ass.  See  Matt,  xxi,  2,  Mark  xi.  2,  Luke  xix.  30,  31.  The  asses  used  in 
the  east  are  far  superior  to  ours,  so  that  there  was  nothing  mean  or  ridiculous  in 
his  riding  on  that  animal.  We  read  of  Abraham,  the  family  of  Jair,  and  ma- 
gistrates riding  upon  them.  Gen.  xxii.  3.  Judge,  v.  10.  and  x.  4,  &C.  We  should 
also  recollect  that  God,  to  keep  the  people  of  Israel  in  a  more  scflisible  depen- 
dence on  himself  forbade  the  use  of  horses;  our  Lord  therefore,  with  a  pro- 
priety worthy  of  himself,  choee  to  make  his  humble,  though  public  triumph,  ri- 
ding on  an  ass. 

f  Rides.  Jesus  rode  not  on  account  of  any  weariness,  having  formerly  travel- 
led through  all  Palestine  on  foot  ;  but  thereby,  using  that  privilege  which  belong- 
ed to  Judges,  "  Speak  you  that  ride  on  white  Asses,"  to  signify  his  approbation 
of  those  due  acclamations  which  he  knew  would  that  day  be  given  him,  v.  8, 
as  to  the  Messialt ;  that  so  the  prophecy,  Isai.  Ixii.  11,  and  Zech.  ix.  9,  might 
be  accomplished,  wherein  it  is  said,  "  That  the  king  of  the  Jews,  the  Messiah, 
should  come  riding  on  an  ass's  foal,"  which  though  it  were  a  meek,  was  yet  also  a 
royal  gesture  and  ceremony. 

\  Hosannaii.  The  Hebrew  word  signiRcs,  "  Save,  we  beseech  thee ;"  by 
their  application  of  the  term  to  Jesus,  they  meant  to  say,  "  May  God  save  and 
prosper  him  !" 


358  A  Complete  History 

When  the  Holy  Jesus  had  thv.s  entered  Jenisalem  hi 
triumph,  he  went  up  to  the  mount  of  OHves,  and  from 
thence  beholding  Jerusalem,  and  foreseeing  the  dreadful 
and  unparallelled  calamities  which  were  to  befal  it,  he 
wept  over  it,  saying,  '*  O  that  thou  also  wouldst  yet 
consider,  and  lay  to  heart,  before  it  be  too  late,  even  in 
this  critical  juncture,  those  things  which  concern  thy  fu- 
ture tranquillity !  but  now  thou  shuttest  thine  eyes 
against  them,  and  wilt  not  consider.  But  thy  punish- 
ment for  this  shall  be,  that  shortly  thine  enemies  shall 
closely  besiege  *  thee,  and  famish  thee  :  they  shall  take 
thy  city,  destroy  all  that  are  in  it,  and  utterly  demolish 
the  temple  ;  and  all  this  shall  befal  thee  for  not  consider- 
ing what  I  have,  by  way  of  message,  delivered  from 
God  to  thee."  All  which  literally  came  to  pass,  and  was 
verified  in  the  most  minute  circumstances  and  particulars. 

Jesus  descending  from  the  mount  of  Olives  to  the  city, 
(which  was  still  but  part  of  his  cavalcade)  he  went  into  the 
temple,  purifying  it  from  all  uncleanness  and  jjroflmation, 
and  not  suffering  so  much  as  the  least  vessel  to  be  carried 
through  or  into  it  which  did  not  appertain  to  the  service 
of  God.  Thither  also  the  acclan^ations  of  the  people  fol- 
lowed him,  which  was  no  small  mortification  to  the  Pha- 
risees, who,  with  the  noises  abroad,  and  the  restless  tu- 
mults of  envy  and  hatred  within  their  own  breasts,  are 
ready  to  burst :  and  that  which  adds  to  tlicir  vexation  the 
more  is,  that  notwithstanding  all  their  endeavours  to  sup- 
press his  glories,  in  despite  of  all  their  stratagems,  the 
whole  nation  was  become,  as  it  were,  one  disciple  to  the 
glorious  Nazarene.  To  confirm  them  in  which  opinion, 
he  continues  to  cure  the  blind  and  lame,  and  others  of 
infirmities  under  which  they  laboured. 

But  notwithstanding  the  Pharisees  and  other  grandees 
among  the  Jews  were  so  maievolent  to  the  Ht^ly  Jesus, 
who  had  done  so  much  good  among  them ;  yet  there 
were  others  of  as  much  consideration,    and  \\ho   were 


*  Besiege  thee.  In  the  Mount  of  Olives,  where  Jesus  shed  tears  over  perish- 
ing Jerusalem,  the  Romans  first  pitched  their  tents,  when  they  came  to  its  final 
overthrow. 


of  the  IIolij  Bible.  359 

flir  better  disposed  :  for  mIi'iIc  Jesus  abode  at  hrn- 
salem,  certain  Greeks,  *  who  came  to  the  feast  to  \\  or- 
sliip,  made   an  applieation   to  Pliihp  that  they  niiglit  be  1 

introduced  to  Jesus.  Philip  acquaints  Andrew  with  it ; 
and  they  both  inform  Jesus;  who,  having  admitted  them, 
discourses  belbre  them  of  many  things  relating  to  his  pas- 
sion ;  tells  them,  that  his  death  f  would  be  a  means  of 
bringing  more  to  the  tailh  than  his  life  had  been,  in  like 
manner  as  a  corn  of  wheat  sown  in  the  earth,  which  by 
that  mean  dies,  but  arises  with  abundance  and  increase. 

After  this,  his  human  nature  beginning  to  dread  the 
approaching  hour,  he  confesses  the  frailty  of  it,  and  would 
by  prayer  endeavour  to  avert  the  bitter  cup ;  but  recollects, 
it  was  to  sufter  that  he  came  into  the  world,  and  therefore 
would  not  pray  against  it ;  but  rather  desires  his  Father 
to  finish  the  grand  puipose  of  glorifying  his  name.  To 
which  he  was  answered  l)y  a  voice  from  heaven  ;  "  I  have 
both  glorified  it,  and  will  glorify  it  again."  But  neither 
this,  nor  the  whole  series  of  miracles  that  he  performed, 
the  mercies,  the  cures,  nor  the  divine  discourses  he  utter- 
ed, produced  their  genuine  effect  on  the  minds  of  the  Jews 
in  general ;  for  manv  of  tiie  rulers  among  them,  though 
they  were  convinced  that  he  was  the  true  Messiah,  and 
were  disposed  to  believe  on  him,  yet  could  not  assume 
sufficient  courage  to  confess  him,  for,  alas  !  "  they  loved 
the  praise  of  men  more  than  the  praise  of  God." 

Then  Jesus  again  exhorted  them  all  to  believe  on  him, 
that  so  they  might,  by  the  same  act,  believe  on  God ;  that 
they  might  approach  unto  the  light,  and  not  abide  in  dark- 
ness ;  that  they  might  obey  the  commandments  of  the 
Father,  whose  express  charge  it  was,  that  Jesus  should 
preach  this  gospel ;  and  that  they  might  not  be  condemned 
at  the  last  day  by  the  word  that  they  had  rejected,  which 
word,  to  all  who  observe  it,  is  everlasting  life. 


*  Greeks.  See  John  xii.  20.  Matt.  xvi.  15.  Luke  xix.  39.  These  Greeks 
were  Gentile  worshippers,  Proselytes  of  the  gr.te ;  who  being  not  permitted  to 
celebrate  the  feast  withthe  Jews,  were  yet  come  up  to  pray  in  the  outward  courts 
of  the  temple. 

f  Death,     See  John  xii.  24,  8cc. 


360  A  Complete  History 

After  this  sermon,  Jesus  retiring  to  Bethany,  he  abode 
there  all  night ;  and  on  the  morrow  returning  to  Jerusalem, 
on  the  way  being  hungry,  he  perceived  at  a  considerable- 
distance  a  single  fig-tree,  which  had  a  fine  shew  of  leaves 
upon  it,  and  therefore  appeared  to  be  one  of  the  earlier 
kind.  Having  come  up  to  the  tree,  he  found  nothing  but 
leaves,  there  was  not  so  much  as  a  bud  ;  from  which  it 
appeared,  that  though  it  looked  so  beautiful,  it  was  a  bar- 
ren tree.  Now  it  is  to  be  observed,  that  our  Lord  turned 
,,  out  of  the  way  towards  this  tree,  because  as  yet  it  was 
early  in  the  summer,  and  the  time  of  gathering  figs  was 
not  yet  arrived ;  so  that  if  this  tree  had  produced  any,  it 
might  have  been  expected  they  would  still  be  growing 
upon  it.  Jesus,  intending  to  intimate  that  the  curse  of 
God  should  ere  long  wither  and  destroy  the  Jewish  na- 
tion, which  he  had  before  compared  to  an  unfruitful  figj 
tree,  (Luke  xiii.  6,  9,)  was  pleased  to  say  to  this  tree, 
*'  Let  no  man  from  henceforth  ever  eat  fruit  of  thee,  nor 
any  fruit  hereafter  grow  upon  thee. "  The  fig-tree  began 
immediately  to  wither ;  and  shortly  after,  when  the  disci- 
ples passed  by  the  same  spot,  they  were  struck  with  its 
appearance,  saying,  **  How  soon  is  the  fig-tree  withered 
away  !"* 

Jesus  took  this  occasion  of  exhorting  them  to  con- 
fidence in  the  power  and  fidelity  of  God,  especially 
when  they  were  conscious  that  he  was  secretly  mo\  ing 
them  to  perform  a  miraculous  work  ;  assuring  them  that 
they  should   be  enabled,    for   the   confirmation   of  their 


*  Withered  aivay.  The  enemies  of  revelation  have  cavilled  at  the  conduct  of 
our  Lord  on  this  occasion.  Some  pretend  that  he  behaved  improperly  in  cursing 
the  fig^-tree,  for,  say  they,  it  is  written,  The  time  of  Jigs  was  not  yet ;  he  therefore 
cursed  the  tree  for  not  having  fruit,  though  the  time  for  fruit  was  not  yet  arrived. 

In  answer  to  this,  it  is  not  necessary  to  dwell  on  the  circumstances  mentioned 
by  some  writers — that  the  climate  of  Judea  was  much  warmer  than  ours,  and  that 
a  most  delicate  kind  of  figs  was  ripe  there  as  early  as  April,  &c.  Sec.  The  true  so- 
lution of  the  apparent  difficulty  is  perfectly  easy .  By  the  sentence,  The  time  of  figs 
TOO*  wofjef  cowe,  we  are  to  understand  that  the  time  of  ^afAenV:^  figs  was  not  yet 
come,  and  therefore  if  the  tree  bore  any  fruit,  the  passenger  might  expect  to  find  it 
on  the  tree,  which  he  would  not,  if  the  season  forgathering  the  fully  ripe  fruit  had 
arrived. 


of  the  Holy  Bible.  361 

mission,  to  produce  greater  changes  than  that  which  they 
had  just  witnessed,  even  such  as  the  removal  ol"  a  liill  into 
the  sea,  if  they  should  be  called  to  perlorm  such  a  mi- 
racle. 

Jesus  having  returned  to  the  city,  entered  into  the  tem- 
ple, and  preached  the  gospel ;  whereupon  the  Scribes  and 
Elders,  knowing  he  had  no  authority  from  the  Sanhedrim, 
questioned  his  commission,  asking  him,  who  gave  him 
authority  to  do  these  things?  This  question  Jesus  thought 
fit  to  answer  by  asking  anodier,  which  he  knew  would  si- 
lence them  :  and  therefore  he  desired  to  know  their  opi- 
nion of  John,  whedier  he  derived  his  commission  from 
God  or  from  man  ?  The  Jews  soon  perceived  that  they 
were  ensnared  in  their  own  net,  being  unable  to  make  any 
reply  :  for  they  considered,  that  if  they  should  say  John 
received  his  power  of  men,  they  would  be  in  danger  of 
being  stoned  by  the  multitude,  who  esteemed  John  as  a 
prophet :  and  if  they  should  say  from  heaven,*  they  well 
knew  he  might  justly  reproach  them  for  not  believing 
him.  Unable,  then,  to  extricate  themselves  out  of  this 
difficult  dilemma,  they  concluded  ignorance  to  be  the  best 
answer,  and  declared  they  could  not  tell  whence  he  deri- 
ved his  power.  To  which  the  holy  Jesus  replies ;  "Nei- 
ther is  it  necessary  for  me  to  give  you  any  account  of  my 
commission  or  authority,  since  you  grant,  that  a  man  may 
lawfully  preach  and  baptize,  and  receive  disciples,  as  John 
did,  without  the  approbation  or  permission  of  the  Sanhe- 
drim. Is  it  not  a  strange  thing,  that  you  who  pretend  so 
much  to  be  God's  informed  and  obedient  servants,  should 
yet  stand  out,  the  most  obstinately  of  all  others,  against 
his  commands,  and  the  messengers  sent  from  him,  when 
the  meanest  publicans  and  the  multitude  forsake  their  for- 
mer ways,  repent,  and  believe  the  gospel  ?"  Then  he 
proceeded  to  reprove  the  Pharisees  and  rulers  by  the  pa- 
rable of  two  sons ;  the  first  of  whom,  bluntl)'^  said  to  his 
father,  when  he  ordered  him  to  go  and  work  in  the  vine- 
yard, "  I  will  not;"  but  being  soon  sensible  of  his  diso- 
bedience, repented,  and  obeyed  his  commands.     The  se- 


*  Heaven.     See  Matt.  xxi.  25,   &c.     Luke  xx.  6,  &c. 

Vol.  II.  Z  z 


362  A  Complete  H'lstort/ 

cond  gave  his  father  good  words,  promising  obedience, 
but  not  performing.  Jesus  asking  the  Jews,  which  of 
these  they  thought  the  most  dutiful  son  ?  They  answer, 
Tlie  first.  Then,  immediately  applying  the  parable  to 
ihetn,  he  obser^'cd,  That  the  publicans  and  harlots,  the 
worst  of  sinners  in  their  opinion,  by  receiving  the  gospel, 
which  they  rejected,  should  enter  heaven  before  them  : 
meaning  by  this  parable,  that  persons  who  appeared  the 
inosi  unlikely,  Avere  more  readily  converted  than  they, 
■\A  hose  religion  was  altogether  external,  who  were  proud  of 
their  own  righteousness,  and  whose  w  hole  lives  were  a  se- 
ries of  hypocrisy  and  disobedience. 

To  this  he  added  the  parable  of  the  vineyard,  "  which 
the  owner  let  out  to  husbandmen,  who  killed  the  servants 
sent  to  demand  the  fruits,  and  at  last  the  Son  also,  that 
they  might  seize  the  inheritance.  And  asking  xht  Phari- 
sees, what  they  thought  tb.c  owner  would  do  to  those  hus- 
bandmen ?  They  expressed  great  indignation  against 
those  false  and  bloody  servants,  affirming  them  worthy  of 
litter  destruction ;  that  the  Lord  of  the  vineyard  might 
provide  him  better  officers,  which  should  pay  him  his  rent 
duly."  Though  when  Jesus,  upon  this  answer  of  theirs, 
approved*  the  reasonableness  of  it,  and  affirmed  it  j-hould 
thus  befal  them  indeed,  (by  which  they  began  to  perceive 
that  he  spake  this  parable  against  them)  they  with  indigna- 
tion deprecate  the  sentence,  saying,  "  Godf  forbid." 
Then  pronouncing  a  sad  woe  against  all  such  as  should 
stumble  at  him  the  rejected,  tliough  chief  or  corner  stone^ 
or  on  whom  this  stone  should  fall ;  he  positively  declares 
to  the  Jews,  that  the  gospel,  and  the  privilege  of  being  the 
only  church  and  people  of  God,  should  be  taken  from 
them,  and  given  to  such  as  shall  readily  and  cordially  re- 
ceive his  gospel. 

^After  these,  and  some  other  reprehensions,  whi(;Ji  lie 

'^  so  veiled  in  parable,  that  it  might  not  be  expounded  to  be 

calumny,  (although  such  sharp  sermons  had  been   spokei\ 


*  Approved.     See  Luke  xx.  19.     Matt.  xxi.  4o, 
-j-  God.    See  Luke  x.x.  1^6. 


of  the  JIolij  Bible,  2>^Z 

,11  the  people's  licarinj^;  but  yet  so  clearly  that  themselves 
might  see  their  own  ini(juity  in  those  modest  and  just  re- 
presentations) the  Pliarisees  would  fain  have  seized  him  ; 
i)iit  they  durst  not  for  lear  of  the  people  :  therefore  they 
resolved,  if  they  could,  to  entani^le*  him  in  his  talk,  an4 
accordingly  sent  out  spies,  who  should  pretend  sanctity 
^nc]  veneration  for  his  person;  who,  with  a  goodly  insinu- 
ating preface,  that  Jesus  was  impartial  in  his  thoughts  and 
woids,  regarded  no  man's  pei'son,  but  spake  the  word  of 
God  with  much  simplicity  and  justice,  would  seem  to 
colour  their  mischie\ous  designs  against  him.  The  spie? 
they  sent  were  of  txyo  contrary  parties,  some  Pharisees, 
others  Herodians-.f  that  whatsoever  answer  he  should 
make  to  any  of  their  questions,  one  party  might  be  offend- 
ed with  han. 

They  come  to  him  therefore  with  this  flattering,  but 
insidious  prologue  ;  we  know,  that  without  all  fear  of 
men  or  partiality,  thou  wilt  tell  us  truly  what  is  our  duty 
toward  God: J  tell  us  therefore,  is  it  just,  according  to 
the  law  of  God,  to  give  tribute  to  Cccsar,  or  not?"  Jesus 
knowing  their  treacherous  design,  said  ;  "Ye  hypocrites, 
why  endeavour  ye,  under  the  pretence  of  reverencing  me, 
to  ensnare  me?    Shew   me  the  tribute-money."^     And   , 


*  Entangle.     See  Matt.  xxii.  15,  &c. 

■\  Herodians .  The  Herodians  were  not  a  diatlnot  oect  from  the  Pharisees  and 
Sadducees ;  but  some  of  them  Sadducees,  as  appears  by  comparing  Matt.  xvi. 
16,  with  Mark  viii.  15. 

\  God.     Malt.  xxii.  16,  &c. 

5  Tribute-Money.  The  question  about  the  tribute  vyas  the  cause  of  a  great  dis- 
pute, because  of  the  numerous  sect  of  the  Galrleans,  who  denied  it,  and  because  of 
the  affections  of  the  people,  who  loved  their  money  and  their  liberty,  and  the  pri- 
vileges of  their  nation.  The  head  of  this  sect  of  the  Galileans  was  one  Judas 
Gaulonita  or  Galilseus,  according  to  Josephus,  Hist.  1.  18,  c.  2,  who  being  joined 
by  one  Saddok,  a  priest,  solicited  the  people  to  a  defection,  telling  them  tha^  God 
was  to  be  their  only  master  and  prince,  and  no  mortal  to  be  acknowledged  as 
such;  that  the  requiring  a  tax  from  them,  if  they  should  pay  it,  was  a  manifest 
profession  of  servitude,  and  that  it  was  their  duty  to  vindicate  their  liberty :  by 
which  means  he  raised  a  great  sedition  among  the  Jews,  and  was  the  cause,  un- 


364  A  Complete  His  tori/ 

they  brought  him  a  penny.  Then  he  demands  of  them, 
whose  image  was  inscribed*  upon  it  ?  They  confess  it  to 
be  the  signature  of  the  Roman  emperor:  whence  Christ 
concluded,  that  they  which  acknowledge  Cajsar's  supre- 
macy over  them,  ought  to  pay  the  tribute  due  to  him  as 
supreme  ;  for  the  law  of  God,  requiring  that  every  one 
should  possess  that  which  belongs  to  him,  he  particu- 
larizes the  duties  of  paying  acknowledgment  to  kings 
in  their  just  dues,  as  acts  of  piety  are  due  to  God.  This 
was  a  great  disappointment  to  them,  who  thought,  that, 
upon  answering  this  question,  he  M^ould  unavoidable  in- 
cur the  displeasure  of  Ctcsar,  or  of  the  jjeople  ;  but  find- 
ing that  by  his  incomparable  wisdom  he  had  broken  their 
snare,!  they  departed,  admiring^  his  prudence,  and  des- 
pairing of  being  able  to  gain  any  advantage  over  him. 
But  though  they  were  disappointed  in  their  crafty  stra- 
tagem, yet  from  thence  this  general  good  accrued  to 
mankind,  that  our  blessed  Saviour,  by  means  of  their  in- 
tended treachery,  established  a  rule  of  the  utmost  im- 
portance, and  of  perpetual  obligation,  saying,  "  Give  un- 
to Caesar  the  things  that  are  Caesar's,  and  unto  God  the 
things  that  are  God's," 

Tlie  blessed  Jesus  having  so  excellently,  and  so  much 
to  their  admiration  answered  the  Pharisees,  the  Saddu- 
cees  bring  their  objection  to  him  against  the  resurrec- 
tion,^  by  proposing  the  case  of  a  woman  successively 


der  pretence   of   defending  the  public  liberty,  of  innumerable  mischiefs  to  the 
nation. 

*  Inscribed.  This  plainly  denoted  their  right  of  submission;  and  conse- 
quently of  paying  tribute  to  the  Romans :  for  the  coining  of  money  is  part  of 
the  supreme  power  or  regal  prerogative ;  and  they  being  a  conquered  people, 
and  their  coin  bearing  Csesar's  inscription,  the  tribute  must  be  supposed  duetto 
him. 

-}•  Snare.  The  notion  entertained  by  the  bulk  of  the  Jews  was,  that  the  Mes- 
siah would  deliver  them  from  foreign  servitude.  If  therefore  he  who  called 
himself  the  Messiah,  recommended  paying  taxes  to  the  Romans,  they  would 
consider  it  as  inconsistent  with  his  pretensions,  nay,  %  renouncing  them  altogether. 

\  Admiring.     See  Matt.  xxii.  22. 


$  Reeurr^ction.     See  Mark  xii.  19,  &c. 


of  the  Holy  nibh.  365 

married  to  seven  husb.indii,  imd  requirin[^  whose  \\\{c 
should  she  be  in  the  resurrection  ;  lor  rhey  weakly  con- 
cluded that  future  state  of  things  to  be  impossible,  w  hich 
Avould  be  liable  to  so  great  an  absurdity  as  that  a  woman 
should  be  at  once  the  \\ife  of  seven  men.  But  Jesus 
first  answered  their  ol)jcction,  by  telling  them,  that 
all  those  relations,  whose  foundation  is  laid  in  the  imper- 
fections, and  passions  of  flesh  and  blood,  shall  cease  in 
that  state  ;  which  is  so  spiritual,  that  it  resembles  the  con- 
dition of  angels,  among  whom  there  is  no  difference  of 
sex,  no  genealogies  or  derivations  from  one  to  another  : 
and  then,  by  a  new  argument,  he  proves  the  resurrection 
by  one  of  God's  condescending  titles,  for  he  had  fre- 
quently called  himself  the  God  of  Abraham,  the  God  of 
Isaac,  and  the  God  of  Jacob.  For  since  God  is  not  the 
God  of  the  dead,  but  of  the  living,  unto  him  even  diese 
men  are  alive  :  and  if  so,  then  either  they  now  exercise 
acts  of  life,  and  therefore  shall  be  restored  to  their  bo- 
dies, that  their  actions  may  be  complete,  and  they  remain 
not  in  a  state  of  imperfection  to  all  eternity ;  or  if  they 
be  alive,  and  yet  cease  from  among  men,  they  shall  be 
much  rather  raised  to  a  condition  which  shall  actuate  and 
make  perfect  their  present  capacities  and  dispositions,  lest 
a  power  and  inclination  should  for  ever  be  in  the  root,  and 
never  grow  up  to  fruit  or  perfection,  and  thus  discredit  the 
works  of  God  as  an  eternal  vanity. 

Though  the  Pharisees  and  Sadducees  were  no  great 
friends  to  one  another ;  yet  in  the  cause  against  the  Sa- 
viour of  the  world  they  united  their  forces  :  but  notwith- 
standing this  partial  union,  they  were  glad  upon  any 
occasion  to  see  each  other  foiled.  Of  which  an  instance 
occurred,  when  the  Sadducees  proposed  the  question 
relating  to  the  resurrection  ;  for  the  Pharisees  were  well 
pleased,  not  that  Jesus  spake  so  excellendy,  but  that  the 
Sadducees  were  confuted  ;  and  therefore  hoping  for  better 
success,  they  attack  him  with  another  question,  more  out  of 
curiosity,  than  any  pious  desire  of  satisfaction.  But  at  last, 
after  all  their  disputes,  Jesus  Mas  pleased  to  ask  them  a 
question  concerning  CHRIST,  ^hose  Son  he  was?  they 
answered,  "  The  Son  of  David."  But  he,  in  reply,  pro- 
posed another  question  ?  "  How  then  doth  David  call  iiini 


366  ,       jd  Complete  History 

Lord  ?"  saying,  "  The  Lord  said  unto  my  Lord,  Sit  thou 
on  my  right  hand,  &.c."  To  A\hich  they  could  give  no 
answer. 

After  this,  Jesus  gave  his  disciples  a  solemn  caution 
against  the  pride,  hypocrisy,  and  oj^pression  of  the  Scribes 
and  Pharisees ;  and  commended  the  poor  widow's  obla- 
tion of  her  two  mites  into  tiie  treasury,  preferring  her  pious 
intentions,  who  threw  in  her  all,  before  the  great  and  mighty 
superfluities  of  the  rich,  who  had  still  so  much  to  spare.  All 
this  was  spoken  in  the  temple;  the  goodly  stones*^  and  orna- 
ments of  which  when  the  apostles  beheld  with  wonder,  they 
beingsofirm  and  beautiful,  Jesus  at  the  same  time  prophesies 
the  destructionf  of  that  holy  place.  Concerning  which  pre- 
diction, when  the  apostles,  being  with  him  at  the  niount  of 
Olives,  asked  him  privately  of  the  time  and  signs  of  such 
sad  events,  he  tells  them  one  prognostic  of  that  destruction 
shall  be,  that  many  deceivers  shall  arise,  pretending  to  be  the 
Messiah.  Another  forerunner  of  it  is,  that  great  commotions 
and  tumults  shall  take  place  in'Judea,  before  the  Romans 
come  to  destroy  them  utterly.  Then  he  discoursed  largely  of 
his  coming  to  judgment  against  the  city  of  Jerusalem,  and 
from  thence  interweaved  predictions  of  the  universal  judg- 
ment of  the  w^orid,  of  which  this,  though  very  awful,  W'as 
but  a  small  presage  ;  adding  precepts  of  watchfulness,  and 
of  due  pieparation,  with  hearts  filled  with  grace :  all 
which  he  enforced  with  the  pathetic  parable  of  the  "  Ten 
Virgins,  who,  at  that  point  of  time  spoken  of,  the  heavy 
visitation  of  this  people,  took  their  lamps  and  went  forth 
to  meet  the  bridegroom.     Five  of  them  were  prudent  and 


*  Sitones.  Josephus  says  that  some  of  them  were  forty -five  cubits  long,  five 
high,  and  six  broad ;  that  is,  in  English  measure,  sixty-seven  feet  long,  seven 
and  a  half  high,  and  nine  broad.  Tacitus  also  speaks  of  the  immense  opulence 
of  the  temple  at  Jerusalem.     (Hist.  lib.  v.) 

Josephus  likewise  asserts,  that  the  marble  of  the  temple  was  so  white,  that  it 
appeared  to  a  spectator  at  a  distance,  like  a  mountain  of  snow  ;  and  the  gilding 
of  its  several  external  parts,  which  he  also  mentions,  must,  when  the  sun  shone 
upon  it,  have  rendered  it  a  most  splendid  and  beautiful  spectacle.  See  yosefibus 
Bell.  ^iid.Vih.v.c.5,  &c. 

f  Destfvctioi:.     See  Matt.  xxiv.  2.     Mark  xiii.  3.     Lukexxi.  7.     ^ 


of  the  Ilohj  Bible.  367 

Avatchful  ;  the  other  vain  and  improvident.  The  five  wise 
liad  provided  themselves  w'lXh  a  stock  of  oil  sufficient  to 
furnish  their  lamps  dnrins^  their  expectation  of  die  bride- 
groom's coming  ;  but  the  five  foolish  took  no  more  wiUi 
them  than  for  their  present  occasion.  After  long  waiting, 
hea\y  sleep  sealcxl  their  weary  eyes  ;  but  at  midnight  they 
are  alarmed  with  the  cry  of  the  bridegroom's  comingv 
The  five  wise,  who  had  trimmed  their  lamps  before  they 
went  to  rest,  arc  not  surprised  witli  the  sudden  summons, 
but  joyfully  prepare  to  meet  the  bridegroom  ;  while  the 
five  foolish  and  cai-elcss  virg?ns,  roused  at  the  noise,  find 
their  lamps  extinct.  In  vain  they  implore  a  supply  of  th^ 
others  ;  they  are  forced  to  seek  for  more  oil  elsewhere ;  in 
■which  time  the  bridegroom  arrives,  who  receives  the  five 
wise,  and  takes  them  with  him  to  the  place  of  the  nuptial 
entertainment,  and  orders  the  door  to  be  shut.  The  five 
foolish  damsels  havinfrlono-  loitered  about  for  oil  to  recruit 
their  exhausted  lamps,  come  to  the  biidcgroom's  gate, 
dem  indiup-  entrance  with  as  much  assurance  as  those  that 
had  paid  the  most  strict  attendance.  Their  importunate 
cries  reach  the  bridegroom's  ear,  who  tells  thetn  there 
'v\'as  no  room  for  such  loiterers,  whose  sloth  and  improvi- 
dence had  betrayed  them  to  the  loss  of  rfny  entertainment 
with  him."  By  this  parable,  the  blessed  Jesus  hinted  to 
his  discii)les  Uie  necessit}'  of  watchfulness,  that  not  know- 
ing the  day  or  hour  of  the  Son  of  man's  coming,  they 
might  be  always  ready  to  receive  him.* 


*  Him.  The  excellent  Doddridge  expresses  the  general  use  which  Christians 
should  make  of  this  parable  in  the  following  manner  : 

Let  us  apply  our  hearts  to  the  obvious  instructiijns  which  this  well-known  para- 
ble so  naturally  suggests.  We  are  under  a  religious  profession  :  our  lamps  are  in 
our  hands  ;  and  we  go  forth  as  those  that  expect  to  meet  Christ ;  as  those  that  de- 
sire and  hope  to  be  admitted  to  the  marriage  supper  of  the  Lamb.  But,  alas,  how 
few  are  there,  that  are  truly  prepared  for  such  a  blessedness !  Would  to  God 
there  were  reason  to  hope  that  the  Christian  church  were  so  equally  divided,  that 
five  often  in  it  had  the  oil  of  Divine  grace  in  their  hearts,  to  render  thehi  «'  burn- 
ing and  shining  lights  !" 

Let  even  such  as  have  it,  be  upon  their  guard ;  for  our  Lord  intimates,  that  the 
wise,  as  well  as  the  foolish  virgins,  are  too  apt  to  slumbfer  and  sleep,  and  careless- 
ly to  intermit  that  watch  which  they  ought  constantly  to  maintain.     There  may  be, 


368  v4  Complete  History 

This  parable  of  diligence  and  watchfulness  he  Enforces 
with  another  of  the  talents  entrusted  with  the  faithful  and 
slothful  servants,  thereby  pressing  the  observance  of 
those  duties  more  earnestlv  to  them.  And  then  for  the 
encouragement  of  the  diligent,  and  terror  of  the  slothful, 
he  proceeds  to  tell  them,  that  when  Christ  shall  come  to 
judgment,  whether  to  execute  judgment  on  this  people,  or 
to  doom  every  nlan  for  his  future  and  eternal  existence, 
then  shall  his  appearance  be  glorious  and  full  of  majesty. 
All  the  people  of  the  Jews,  believers  and  unbelievers,  and 
all  that  ever  lived  in  this  world,  every  one  with  whom 
God  had  entrusted  any  talent,  shall  by  the  angels  be  ga- 
thered before  him  :  and  all  his  obedient  followers  and  dis- 
ciples shall  be  placed  in  a  state  of  the  greatest  dignity ;  but 
the  unfaithful  and  disobedient  shall  be  liable  to  judgment. 
Then  shall  he,  as  king  and  j  udge,  distribute  the  joys  and  com- 
forts of  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  which  before  all  eternity 
were  designed  to  be  the  portion  of  all  the  faithful  servants 
of  God,  according  to  the  evidence  of  true  faith  expressed 
by  every  man's  works  of  piety  and  charity  performed  in 
this  life,  particularized  *  in  St.  Matthew's  gospel,  by  feed- 
ing and  entertaining  Christ,  by  clothing  his  naked  body, 
attending  him  when  he  was  sick,  relieving,  assisting,  pro- 
viding ibr,  and  visiting  him  in  restraint.  Then  shall  his 
humble  and  faithful  disciples,  as  not  conscious  of  any  such 
acts  of  service  or  charity  shewed  to  Christ,  decline  the 


at  an  unexpected  time,  a  midnight  cry.  Happy  the  souls  that  can  hear  it  with 
pleasure ;  being  not  only  habitually,  but  actually  ready  to  obey  the  summons  ! 
Happy  they,  that  have  their  loins  girded,  and  their  lamps  burning  !  I.,uke 
xii.  35. 

.  The  foolish  virgins  saw  their  error  too  late  :  they  applied  to  the  wise  ;  but  their 
application  was  vain.  And  as  vain  will  the  hope  of  those  be  who  trust  to  the  in- 
tercession of  departed  saints,  or  any  supposed  redundancy  of  merit  in  them,  while 
they  are  themselves  strangers  to  a  holy  temper  and  life.  In  vain  will  they  ci^', 
"Lord,  Lord,  open  to  us.  The  door  of  mercy  will  be  shut  for  ever,  and  the  work- 
ers of  iniquity  utterly  disowned."  The  day  of  grace  has  its  limits  ;  and  for  those 
that  have  trifled  it  away,  there  remaineth  nothing  "  but  the  blackness  of  darkness 
forever."     Jude,  v.  13. 

*  Particular ized.     See  Matt.  xiv.  35,  36,  Sec, 


Qfthe  Holy  Bible.  369 

praise  of  such  actions.  To  uliicli  the  Blessed  Jesus  will 
reply,  "  liuisuiuch  as  they  hud  performed  those  good 
offices  to  tlie  least  of  all  his  genuine  disciples,  and  from 
a  princi|)le  of  love  to  him,  he  considered  it  as  done  to  him- 
self. But  as  to  the  slothful  and  unfaithful,  he  shall  pro- 
nounce them  accursed,  and  adjudge  them  to  those  eternal 
woes,  designed  for  the  devil,  and  those  angels  that  sinned 
and  fell  with  him,  for  die  want  of  that  true  faith  which  al- 
ways worketh  by  love,  and  which  radical  defect  was  aw- 
fully evinced  by  their  uncharitableness,  in  refusing  to  assist 
him  when  he  was  famished  with  hunger,  starved  with 
cold,  sick,  and  in  prison.  And  when,  as  not  conscious  of 
this  cruelty  and  impiety,  they  shall  begin  to  expostulate 
that  they  never  acted  in  this  unfriendly  manner  to  Christ — 
ne\'er  saw  him  in  any  distress  without  relieving  him :  then 
shall  he  answer  them ;  "  Inasmuch  as  ye  did  not  succour 
and  comfort  the  meanest  of  my  disciples,  ye  refused  those 
good  offices  to  my  person.  He  then  concludes  his  sermon 
with  a  prediction  of  his  approaching  passion,  foretelling, 
that  within  two  days*  he  should  be  betrayed  and  delivered 
by  the  Jews  into  the  hands  of  the  Romans,  to  die  after  their 
manner,  which  was  to  be  fastened  to  a  cross. 

The  Jews,  who  had  long  and  impatiently  waited  for  an 
opportunity  of  destroying  Jesus  by  the  formalities  of  law, 
had  hitherto  been  frustrated  in  all  their  attempts,  though 
laid  with  all  the  insidious  treachery  that  malice  could  in- 
vent ;  for  they  durst  not  attack  him  by  open  force,  because 
of  the  great  opinion  die  muhitude  entertained  of  him,  and 
who  might  revenge  any  harm  done  to  him  upon  the  ad- 
ministration :  however,  they  resolve  to  leave  no  means  un- 
tried to  get  him  into  their  power,  and  in  order  hereunto 
they  call  a  great  council  to  consult  how  to  ensnare  him ; 
but  while  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees  were  anxiously  con^ 
triving  how  to  betray  him,  a  wicked  officious  man,  at  the 
instigation  of  the  devil,  furnishes  them  with  an  instrument: 
Judas  Iscariot,  one  of  the  twelve,  hearing  of  this  meeting 
of  the  Jews,  and  knowing  that  they  of  the  Sanhedrim  were 
desirous  of  apprehending  Jesus  privately,  goes  from  Beth- 


•  Tvio  days.     See  Matt.  xxvi.  2, 

Vol.  ir.  3  A 


3f  0  A  Complete  History 

any  in  haste,  and  oficred  to  betray  his  master  to  them,  if 
they  woLiid  give  liim  a  considerable  reward.  The  council 
oVerjoved  at  this  opportunity,  were  as  ready  to  offer  as  his 
avarice  was  to  crave,  and  they  agreed  with  him  for  thirty 
pieces  of  siher.  A  poor  price  for  the  Saviour  of  the 
world  to  be  valued  at  by  his  undiscerning,  unworthy 
countrymen.  The  bargain  thus  made,  Judas  retires  from 
the  council,  watching  an  opportunity  *  such  as  they  de- 
sired ;  that  is,  an  opportunity  of  taking  him  privately, 
when  the  people  should  not  be  aware. 

The  next  day  f  was  the  first  day  of  unleavened  bread, 
on  which  it  was  necessary  they  should  kill  J  the  passover ; 
therefore  Jesus  sent  Peter  and  John  to  the  city  to  a  certain 
man,  whom  the}'^  should  find  carrying  a  pitcher  \  of  water 
to  his  house, il  him  they  were  to  follow,  and  there  to  pre- 
pare the  passover.  These  two  disciples  went,  and  accor- 
dingly found  the  man  in  the  same  circumstances,  and  pre- 
pared for  Jesus  and  his  family,  who  at  the  evening  came  to 
celebrate  the  passover. 

All  things  being  provided,  and  the  time  appointed 
drawing  near,  tiie  Holy  Jesus,  who  was  now  about  to  fi- 
nish the  great  work  of  redemption,  came  with  his  apos- 
tles to  Jerusalem,  there  to  eat  the  passover  with  them  be- 
fore his  passion.  Having  eaten  the  paschal  lamb  with  his 
disciples,  and  knowing  that  his  hour**  was  come  that  he 
should  depart  out  of  this  world  to  the  Father,  and  there- 
fore that  what  he  had  to  say  or  do  to  his  disciples  must  be 
done  presently,  he  thus  expressed  the  constancy  of  his  af- 


*  opportunity.     See  Matt  xxvi.  4,  16. 

•\  Next  Day.  The  Thursday  evening,  wherein  the  thirteenth  day  of  the  month 
Nii^n  was  concluded,  and  the  fourteenth  day  began,  the  day  of  preparation  to  the 
feast  of  unleavened  bread,  whereon  they  put  all  leaven  out  of  their  houses,  tha? 
is,  on  the  evening  which  began  the  paschal-day. 

:j:  Kill.     See  Luke  xxii.  7. 

§  Pitcher.     See  Mark  xiv.  7o,  &c. 

tl  House.  This  is  supposed  to  be  the  house  of  John  snrnamed  Mark,  which  hacJ 
always  been  open  to  this  blessed  family,  where  Jesus  was  pleased  tO  finish  his  last 
supper,  and  the  mysteriousness  of  the  vespers  of  his  passion. 

**  Hour.     See  John  xiii.  1,  &c. 


of  the  Holy  Bible ,  371 

icction  to  them.  Risincj  from  supper,  afur  llic  manner  oi" 
a  servant,  he  puts  ofl"  his  upper  garment,  girds  liis  under 
jrarment  with  a  napkin,  and  pouring  water  into  a  bason, 
puts  himself  in  the  humble  posture  of  the  meanest  attend- 
ant to  wash  his  disciples'  feet,  and  afterwards  wipes  them 
with  the  napkin  ;  intendini^,  by  this  condescending  action, 
accompanied  with  an  admirable  discourse,  to  teaeli  them 
humilit}',  and  kindness  to  each  other.  But  Simon  Peter, 
thinking  he  ought  in  good  manners  to  decline  this  act  of 
condescension,  which  he  thought  beneath  the  dignity  of 
his  master,  was  unwilling  to  be  washed  by  him,  till  Jesus 
assured  him,  he  must  renounce  his  part  in  him,  unless  he 
were  washed.  Upon  which  he  cried  out,  "  Lord,  not 
only  my  feet,  but  my  hands  and  my  head."  Jesus  tells 
him,  he  that  is  washed*  before,  needs  no  further  washing, 
save  only  for  the  feet,  which  by  daily  conversing  and 
walking  on  earth,  will  be  apt  to  contract  defilement,  and 
need  continual  cleansing. 

After  the  eating  of  the  paschal  lamb,  the  blessed  Jesus 
knowing  that  his  time  was  short,  and  that  he  had  much 
to  do  in  it,  hastens  to  the  second  supper, f  at  which  he  in- 


•  Washed.  That  is,  He  that  has  been  l/atLing — as  the  room  in  which  persons 
dressed  themselves  was  different  from  that  in  which  they  bathed,  their  feet  might 
be  so  soiled  in  walking  from  the  one  to  the  other,  as  to  make  it  necessary  immedi- 
Iitely  to  wash  them  again.  Thus,  though  true  believers  in  Christ  are  already  clean, 
being  washed  from  their  sins  in  his  blood,  yet  is  it  necessary,  even  for  them,  dai- 
ly to  rene\fr  their  application  to  him,  that  they  may  be  freed  from  those  pollutions 
which  they  are  daily  contracting  in  their  vralk  through  this  defiled  and  defiling 
world. 

Some  Christians  have  imagined  that  our  Lord  intended  by  washing  his  disci- 
ples' feet,  to  establish  a  continued  rite  in  his  church,  and  some  still  retain  it  as 
such.  But  as  no  such  rite  ever  obtained  generally  in  the  christian  world,  and  as  it 
would  be,  in  some  countries  and  circumstances,  an  inconvenience,  rather  than  a. 
kindness,  to  do  it  forou»  friends,  it  is  very  properly  considered  by  Christians  in 
general,  as  an  example  of  humility  and  attention  to  our  brethren,  to  be  imitated 
not  in  the  letter,  but  in  the  spirit  of  it. 

•J-  Second  Supper .  It  was  the  custom  of  the  Jewish  nation  after  the  eating  of 
the  paschal  lamb  to  sit  down  to  a  second  supper,  in  which  they  ate  herbs  and  un- 
leavened bread,  the  Major-Domo  first  dipping  his  morsel,  and  then  the  family  ; 
after  which  the  father  of  the  family  brake  bread  into  pieces,  and  distributed  a 


372  J  Complete  History   . 

tended  to  institute  the  perpetual  memorial  of  that  great 
sacrifice,  which  he  was  about  to  offer  up  for  the  sin  of 
the  world.  Jesus  therefore,  took  bread,  and  gave  thanks, 
and  blessed  it ;  diat  is,  having  implored  the  divine  bless- 
ing on  it,  and  on  the  ordinance  he  then  instituted,  that 
it  might  in  all  succeeding  ages  tend  to  the  edification  of 
his  people,  he  brake  the  bread  into  several  pieces,  and 
gave  some  of  it  to  each  of  his  disciples  present,  and 
said,  "  Take  this  bread,  and  eat  it  with  reverence  and 
thankfulness;  for  this  is  my  body;"*  that  is,  it  is  the 
sensible  sign  and  representation  of  my  body,  which  is 
freely  given,  and  is  speedily  to  be  broken,  bruised, 
wounded,  and  even  slaughtered  for  you.  Do  this  here- 
after in  your  assemblies  lor  religious  worship  in  a  pious 
and  affectionate  remembrance!  of  me,  that  you  may  keep 


part  to  every  guest,  and  first  drinking  himself,  gave  to  the  rest  the  chalice  filled 
with  wine  according  to  the  age  and  dignity  of  the  person,  adding  to  each  distribu  ■ 
tion  a  form  of  benediction  proper  to  the  mystery,  which  was  eucharistical  and 
commemorativeof  their  deliverance  from  Egypt.     See  Job  xiii.  2. 

Dr.  Doddridge  thus  explains  this  circumstance.  "  As  it  4s  here  asserted  that 
Chrint  rose  from  supper,  we  must  allow,  that,  in  some  sense,  supper  voas  begun  ;  that 
is,  I  suppose,  the  antepast  had  been  taken,  which  is  mentioned  by  the  Jews,  as 
preceding  the />a^c/6a/ /ami.  They  tell  us,  that  it  was  then  usual  for  the  master 
of  the  family  to  ivasl  bis  bands;  and  if  I  am  rightly  informed,  the  Jews  contmue 
Ae  custom  still.  This  seems  a  more  natural  manner  of  explaining  the  matter, 
than  to  suppose  (according  to  the  note  above)  that  after  the  paschal  lamb  ihey  ate 
anether  distinct  supper;  and  that  this  washing  happened  in  the  interval  betvireen 
them.'' 

*  My  Body.  On  the  same  foundation  on  which  the  Papists  argue  for  transuh- 
!-tantiation  from  these  words,  they  might  ])rove  from  Ezek.  v.  1.  5,  that  the  pro- 
phet's hair  was  the  city  of  Jerusalem ;  from  John  x.  9,  and  xv.  1,  that  Christ  was 
literally  a  door,  and  a  i)ine,  and  from  1  Cor.  xi.  25,  that  the  cup  was  his  blood, 
•and  that  Christ  commanded  his  disciples  to  drink  and  swallow  the  cup.  It  is 
remarkable  that  a  church  which  claims  infallibility,  should  be  given  up  to  a  kind 
of  infatuation,  in  maintaining  one  of  the  grossest  errors  imaginable  ;  and  it 
seems  to  be  allowed  by  Providence  as  an  antidote  against  the  rest  of  its  poison. 

-j-  Eememhrance  of  ine.  From  our  Lord's  words,  "  This  do  in  remembrance 
of  me,"  and  from  those  in  1  Cor.  xi.  26,  "  For  as  often  as  ye  eat  this  bread,  and 
drink  this  cup,  ye  do  shew  the  Lord's  death  till  he  come."  (K*T5ty}.«x«T«,  ye  preach, 
j-e  declare  the  Lord's  death  ;  ye  assure  the  world  of  the  truth  of  it,)  it  jppeara. 


of  the  Ihhj  Bible.  373 

lip  llie  memory  of  my  d)  iiiL^  love,  mny  openly  profess 
your  depcncKiiice  on  my  death,  and  impress  your  hearts 
uith  a  becoming  sense  of  it. 

And  in  like  manner,  he  took  the  cup,  and  when  he 
had  given  thanks  to  his  heavenly  Father,  and  implored 
his  blessing  upon  it  as  d  sacramental  sign,  he  gave  it  to 
them,  and  said,  "Drink  ye  all,  of  it,"  and  accordingly 
they  all  drank  some  of  it.  For,  said  he  to  them,  as  he 
delivered  it  into  their  hands,  "  This  cup  of  wine  is  a  re- 
presentation of  my  blood,  which  is  the  great  basis,  a  seal 
of  the  ]iew  dispensation  of  religion,  which  is  to  super- 
sede that  of  Moses,  and  which  is  shed  for  you,  and  for 
mvriads  more,  as  the  great  ransom  to  be  paid  for  the  re- 
mission of  sins.  * 

Our  Blessed  Lord  having  instituted  that  sacred  memo- 
rial, w  hich  the  apostles  and  the  church  in  all  succeeding 
ages  were  to  continue,  tells  them  that  he  should  not  long 


that  the  sacrament  of  the  supper  was  instituted,  not  only  to  bring  Christ's  suffer- 
ings and  the  happy  consequences  of  them,  to  the  remembrance  of  his  disciples,  but 
to  demonstrate  the  truth  of  these  things  to  the  world  in  all  ages.  In  this  view 
the  sacrament  of  the  supper  is  the  strongest  proof  of  our  Lord's  integrity,  and  of 
the  truth  of  his  mission :  for  if  he  had  been  an  impostor,  and  was  to  have 
suliered  death  on  account  of  his  deluding  the  people,  is  it  to  be  imagined  that  he 
would  have  instituted  any  rite  with  a  view  to  preserve  the  memory  of  his  having 
suffered  punishment  for  the  worst  of  crimes  ?  No  ;  this  is  beyond  all  human  belief. 
And,  therefore,  since  by  this  institution  he  has  perpetuated  the  memory  of  his  own 
sufferings,  it  affords  a  strong  presumption  that  he  was  conscious  of  his  own  inno- 
cence, that  his  character  was  really  what  the  evangelists  have  represented  it  to  be, 
and  that  our  faith  in  him,  as  the  Son  of  God,  is  well-founded.  This  is  the  judi- 
cious remark  of  Dr.  Macknight  in  his  Harmony  of  the  Gospels,  sect.  129. 

*  Sins.  This  ordinance,  as  Dr.  Doddridge  observes,  has  so  plain  a  reference 
to  the  atonement  or  satisfaction  of  Christ,  and  pays  so  solemn  an  honour  to  that 
fundamental  doctrine  of  the  gospel,  that  while  this  sacred  institution  continues  in 
the  church,  it  will  be  impossible  to  root  that  doctrine  out  of  the  minds  of  plain* 
humible  Christians,  by  all  the  arts  of  criticism.  Honest  simplicity  will  alway.s 
see  the  analog)-  this  ordinance  has  to  ealivg  the  Jlesh  if  tic  Son  of  God,  and  drinking 
his  blooil;  and  will  be  taught  by  it  to  feed  on  him  as  the  Lamb  rf  God,  that  taketb 
away  the  sin  if  the  world.  The  enemies  of  this  heart-reviving  truth  might  as  well 
hope  to  pierce  through  a  coat  of  mail  with  a  straw,  as  to  reach  such  a  truth,  defend  • 
cd  by  such  an  ordinance  as  this,  by  any  of  their  trifling  Sbphistrics. 


374  yl  Complete  History 

continue  with  them  ;  that  this  would  be  the  last  passover 
he  should  celebrate  with  them  till  they  should  feast  with 
him  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven  ;  and  at  last,  labouring  un- 
der great  agitation  of  mind,  he  informed  his  apostles  that 
one  of  them  would  betray*  him.  This  was  a  very  surpri- 
sing arrest  upon  the  reputation  of  each  disciple,  except  the 
guilty  one  ;  every  one  but  he  looking  upon  himself  as  inno- 
cent, yet  liable  to  the  imputation  of  guilt  under  so  general 
an  accusation.  The  apostles,  with  great  perplexity  of 
mind,  survey  each  other,  but  cannot  guess  at  the  guilty 
person ;  Judas  the  traitor  being  the  furthest  from  their 
suspicion,  because  he  was  the  Lord's  steward,  and  en- 
trusted by  him  with  the  disposal  of  that  little  temporal 
property  possessed  by  the  holy  family.  While  they  were 
labouring  under  this  anxiety,  Simon  Peter  thought  of  a 
method  to  come  at  the  truth  of  this  matter ;  and  that  was 
by  hinting  to  John,  the  favourite  apostle,  who  then  sat 
next  to  Jesus,  that  he  would  prevail  upon  him  to  discover 
the  guilty  person,  that  the  rest  might  not  labour  under  the 
suspicion  of  such  infamous  treachery.  John  being  so  near 
Jesus,  could  ask  him  unpcrceived  by  the  rest,  whom  he 
meant.  He  told  him,  it  was  he  to  whom  he  should  give 
the  next  piece  of  bread,  which  he  took  out  of  the  dish  ; 
and  having  given  him  that  mark  whereby  to  distinguish 
him,  he  presently  puts  his  hand  into  the  dish,  and  takes  a 
piece  of  bread,  and  gives  it  to  Judds.f  And  notwithstand- 
ing: Jesus  had  warnedj:  him  before  of  the  horrid  dansrer  of 
the  sin,  tellmg  him,  it  had  been  better  for  that  man  that 
he  were  sunk  to  the  bottom  of  the  sea,  than  be  guilty  of 


•  Betray.  See  John  xiii.  2.  Jesus  made  this  prediction,  that  they  might  not 
be  scandalized  at  the  sadness  of  his  passion,  but  be  confirmed  in  their  belief,  see- 
ing a  great  demonstration  of  his  wisdom  and  spirit  of  prophecy,  in  this  very  in- 
stance of  foretelling  the  treachery  of  Judas  Iscariot. 

■f-  yudas.  The  Jews  in  eating  the  passover  used  a  thick  kind  of  sauce  called 
Harosetb,  made  of  palm-tree  branches,  or  of  raisins,  &c.  -»hich  they  mixed  with 
vinegar  and  other  seasoning,  to  represent  the  clay  whereof  their  fathers  in  Egypt 
made  brick.  Into  this  sauce,  it  is  probable  that  Jesus  dipped  a  morsel  of  the  megf 
he  was  eating,  and  gave  it  to  Judas. 

\  Warned.     See  Mark  xiv.  21.     John  xiii.  2". 


of  the  Holy  Bible.  CuS 

such  treacherous  ingratitude,  yet  by  liis  not  rdcntinp^,  the 
devil  entered  more  forcibly  into  him  than  before,*  luir- 
lyiiip;  liim  to  a  speedy  execution  of  his  w  icked  designs ; 
which  Jesus  know  ing,  said  to  him  accordingly,  "  What 
thou  dost,  do  quickly."  Now,  none  of  the  rest  that  were 
at  supper,  understood  the  meaning  of  this,  unless  perhaps 
John,  to  whom  he  had  given  the  token  ;t  they  apprehend- 
ing, that  because  he  was  almoner,  Jesus  had  ordered  him 
to  distribute  something  to  the  poor.  However,  he  had 
no  sooner  received  the  sop,  but  the  devil  immediately, 
took  possession  of  him  ;  and  taking  the  advantage  of  the 
night, j  the  better  to  conceal  his  villainous  designs,  he 
withdraws  from  his  master  and  joins  his  enemies  ;  who 
having  bargained  with  him  for  a  certain  price,  to  betray 
him,  impatiently  expected  a  performance  of  his  promise  ; 
which  they  were  not  long  disappointed  of;  for  Jesus  never 
after  saw  him  as  a  disciple, §  but  as  a  traitor,  when  he 
came  \vith  an  armed  force  to  seize  him  in  the  garden ; 
which  was  shortly  after. 

While  these  things  passed,  the  old  topic  of  supre- 
macy ||  is  again  revived ;  which  Jesus  suppresses,  as  he 
had  done  before,  to  prevent  any  misunderstandings 
among  them,  which  are  too  apt  to  be  the  consequences 
of  emulation  ;  promising  them  a  kingdom,  upon  the 
sarTfe  terms  that  his  Father  had  promised  him  one  ;  adding, 
that  they  should  be  next  to  him,  and  at  his  departure  have 
the  government  of  the  church. 

Then  Jesus  began  his  farewel  sermon,  wliich  was  mixed 
with  sorrow  and  joy,  and  interwoven  with  mysteries,  as 
with  rich  jewels — the  discourses  of  the  glorification  of 


*  Before.     See  John  xlii.  2.     Lukexxii.3. 

i  Toien.    Ibid.  v.  26.  \  Nigbf.     Ibid.  v.  20. 

5  Disciple.  Luke  xxii.  47.  Judas  is  called,  "  He  that  was  called  Judas,  one 
of  the  twelve." 

il  Supremacy.  Some  time  before  this,  viz.  before  his  departing  from  Jericho, 
Matt.  XX.  25,  29,  .nay,  before  he  came  hither,  Mark  x.  42,46,  there  had  been  a 
contention  among  the  disciples  (occasioned  by  the  request  of  Zebedee's  wife  for  her 
two  sons.  Matt.  xx.  20,)  which  of  them  should  b&  looked  upon  as  the  worthiest, 
and  so  be  preferred  before  the  rest. 


376  iA  Complete  History 

God  in  his  Son,  and  of  those  glories  which  the  Father  had 
prepared  for  him  ;  he  also  mentions  his  sudden  departure, 
and  his  going  to  a  place  whither  they  could  not  follow 
him  yet,  but  afterwards  should ;  meaning  first  to  death, 
and  then  to  glorj^ ;  commanding  them  to  love  one  ano- 
ther. 

About  this  time,  Christ  addressed  himself  particularly 
to  Peter,  saj'ing,  "  I  tell  thee,  Simon,  that  upon  the 
occasion  of  some  sin  com.mitted  by  thee,  Satan  has  ac- 
cused thee  before  God,  and  desired  that  he  may  haA^e 
the  shaking  of  thee,  to  drive  thee  from  the  faith  of 
Christ :  this  is  granted  him,  and  the  danger  consequent 
upon  it  is  great;  but  I  have  prayed  for  thee  that  thou  may- 
est  not  be  conquered  by  him  and  his  terrors,  so  as  utterly 
to  forsake  the  faith ;  and  for  the  sins  thou  shalt  be  guilty 
of  in  this  combat,  let  this  use  be  made  of  them  :  when  by 
repentance  thou  art  recovered  out  of  them,  be  more 
careful  to  strengthen  and  confirm  others,  that  they  fall 
not  in  the  like  manner."  Peter,  who  thought  himself 
endued  with  strength  of  faith  sufficient  to  resist  any  temp- 
tation, and  sustain  any  trial  however  great,  confident- 
ly protests  his  readiness  to  suffer  the  worst,  even  death 
itself  with  his  master.  But  the  blessed  Jesus,  who  knew 
his  weakness,  foretels  his  denying  him  before  the  se- 
cond crowing*  of  the  cock  that  night.  Then  foretel- 
ling the  imminent  dangers  that  threatened  them,  he  ad- 
monishes them  to  provide  spiritual  armour  against  them. 
**  Formerly,"  says  he,  "  I  sent  you  out  without  any 
provision,  and  ye  wanted  nothing  ;  but  now  distresses  are 
like  to  come  upon  you,  and  ye  will  first  see  them  fall 
most  sharply  on  me." 

But  lest  he  should  afflict  them  with  too  sad  a  repre- 
sentation of  his  present  condition,  he  relieves  tlieir 
drooping  spirits  with  the  comforts  of  faith  ;  tells  them 
their  faith  f  in  him  would  afford  them  effectual  consola- 
tion and  support  under  the  troubles  of  the  present  world  : 
cheers  them  with  the  object  of  his  removal  to  heaven. 


*  Crowing.     See  Matt.  xxvi.  34.     Luke  xxii.  34. 
f  Faith.     See  John  xiv-  1, 2,  &c. 


of  the  Holy  Bible.  377 

>vhcre  he  was  to  become  their  harbinger,  which  office  he 
would  in  all  parts  execute,  by  returning  again  to  receive 
them,  and  to  introduce  them  to  mansions  ot"  eternal  bliss 
in  his  Father's  house.  And  to  confirm  their  faith  the 
more,  he  tells  them  ;  "  You  know  the  place  to  which  I 
go,  and  the  way  which  will  bring  you  thither ;  I  am  the 
true  and  living  way,  sent  by  my  Father  to  direct  all  men, 
and  to  reveal  his  will  to  }  ou,  who  have  known  him,  as 
he  is  revealed  in  me.  Though  ye  have  never  seen  my 
Father,  yet  having  seen  and  known  me,  who  am  his 
image,  ye  have  both  seen  and  known  him."  Here  Phi- 
lip, not  considering  in  what  sense  his  master  spake,  saith 
to  him,  "  Lord  shew  us  the  Father,  and  that  will  con- 
vince us  beyond  any  other  argument."  Jesus  answers, 
*'  I  tell  thee  again,  Philip,  I  am  the  image  of  my  Father, 
and  he  that  hath  seen  me,  and  heard  my  doctrine,  hath  seen 
my  Father ;  why  then  this  unnecessary  question  ?  Do  you 
not  believe  that  whatsoever  I  do  or  teach,  I  do  by  my  Fa- 
ther's appointment  ?  Take  my  word  for  it ;  or  if  you  will 
not  do  so,  let  my  miracles,  which  have  been  wrought  be- 
fore your  eyes,  convince  you  ;  and  be  assured,  that  you 
who  have  been  my  disciples,  shall  be  able  to  do  the  same 
miracles  *  that  I  do,  nay  greater,  upon  my  sending  down 
the  Holy  Ghost  upon  you."  Then  adding  a  promise,  in. 
order  to  their  present  support  and  future  felicity,  he  as- 
sures them,  that  if  they  should  ask  of  God  any  thing  in 
his  name,  they  should  receiva  it ;  and  that  he  would  pray 
to  his  Father  to  send  the  Holy  Ghost  to  them,  to  supply 
his  place,  to  furnish  them  with  proportionable  comforts  ; 
to  qualify  them  with  great  gifts;  to  lead  them  into  all 
truth ;  and  to  abide  with  them  for  ever. 

As  he  was  going  on  the  wayf  he  continued  his  sermon, 


•  Miracles.     See  John  xiv.  12. 

f  On  tht  vsay.  The  author  supposes  that  this  discourse  was  delivered  by  our 
Lord  while  walking  to  the  garden  ;  but  it  is  not  at  all  probable  that  so  solemn  and 
important  an  address  should  be  given  to  eleven  persons,  while  walking  through 
the  streets  of  Jerusalem.  It  is  far  more  likely  that  after  our  Lord  had  said, 
"  Arise,  let  us  go  hence,"  some  circumstance  might  occasion  a  delay,  whi«h  out 
Lord  improved  by  uttering  this  admirable  sermon  and  prayer. 

Vol.  II.  3  B 


378  J  Coviplete  Bistort/ 

exhorting  them  to  perseverance  in  the  faitli,  and  to  mu- 
tual  love.  "  I  am,"  says  he,  "  the  true,  generous,  fruit-- 
bearing-vine,  and  my  Father  is  the  husbandman,  who 
lias  planted  this  vine,  and  by  whom  it  is  cultivated  for 
his  service.  And  every  branch  that  is  in  me  by  an  exter- 
nal profession,  but  yet  is  found  to  be  barren,  he  cuttedi 
off;  but  every  member  that  is  fruitful  he  pruneth,  and 
maketh  more  fruitful.  You  are  already  sanctified  by  the 
operation  of  my  doctrine  and  Spirit  upon  you  ;  though 
you  may  need  further  pruning  to  render  you  more  fruit- 
ful. Continue  therefore  in  me,  by  the  exercise  of  faith 
and  love,  and  I  will  train  you,  to  nourish  and  supply 
you  as  from  a  living  root ;  for  as,  in  the  natural  world, 
the  branch  cannot  bear  fruit  of  itself,  but  must  presently 
wither,  unless  it  continue  united  with  the  vine,  so  nei- 
ther can  you  produce  the  fruits  of  acceptable  obedience, 
unless  you  continue  in  me.  As  long  as  ye  continue  obe- 
dient to  me  and  my  doctrine,  all  your  prayers  shall  be 
heard ;  which  will  bring  glory  to  my  Father,  and  give 
you  a  true  title  to  my  discipleship.  I  have  very  much 
enlarged  upon  these  things  to  you,  that  the  comfort  you 
have  taken  in  my  presence,  may  in  my  absence  continue 
with  you,  and  that  by  the  addition  of  that  comfort  of  the 
Spirit,  who  wilt  visit  you  when  I  am  gone,  your  joy  may 
abound.  I  charge  you  to  imitate  my  love  to  you  in  mu- 
tually loving  one  another ;  a  great  instance  of  which  I 
bhall  shortly  give  you  in  laying  down  my  life  for  you.  I 
have  given  you  the  greatest  demonstrations  of  my  love 
and  friendship  ;  for  I  have  treated  you  as  friends,  far 
above  the  condition  of  servants.  Mho  use  not  to  know 
their  master's  intentions  or  counsels,  but  only  to  do  his 
commands  ;  but  I  have  received  you  as  friends  and  con- 
fidants into  my  bosom,  and  make  known  all  my  Father's 
will  to  you.  If  ye  shall  meet  with  infidelity  and  perse- 
cutions, let  this  give  you  no  discouragement,  but  arm 
yourselves  against  it  wiUi  this  consideration,  that  they 
thus  treated  me  before  you.  The  hatred  of  the  world  to 
you  will  be  a  comfortable  symptom,  that  you  are  a  pe- 
culiai-  people  of  mine,  dignified  above  and  distinguished 
from  the  rest  of  mankind.  You  must  not  think  it  strange 
to  be  thus  abused  by  tlv:  world  ;  for  if  they  persecuted 


of  the  Holy  Bible. 


Jt: 


me  your  Lord,  you  must  expect  no  better,  and  all  that 
you  shall  suffer  must  be  imputed  to  their  not  helievintj; 
that  God  hath  sent  me.  if  I  had  not  personally  appeared 
and  done  these  thin,f^s  among  them,  they  might  ha\  • 
pleaded  ignorance  for  their  excuse,  l)ut  now  they  are  ut- 
terly inexcusable  ;  for  I  have  said  and  done  so  much  to 
evidence  my  mission,  diat  die  opposing  me  is  a  malicious 
resisting  of  my  Father  himself.  By  this  they  have  ful- 
filled that  of  the  Psalmist,  T/ie?/  hated  me  without  a 
caufic.  But  when  the  Holy  Ghost,  the  advocate  of  my 
cause  shall  come,  and  uliom  I  will  send  from  the  Father, 
he  shall  maintain  my  cause  ai^'ahist  all  opposers,  and  shall 
constitute  you  witnesses  of  me  to  all,  being  the  fittest  to 
testify  of  me,  because  ye  have  been  always  widi  me. 
All  that  I  have  hitherto  said  is  to  fortify  you,  that  you 
should  not  be  deterred  from  my  service  by  the  hazards 
that  attend  it.  Ye  shall  be  ill  used,  and  excluded  from 
the  synagogues  ;  and  they  that  treat  you  thus  will  think 
it  an  acceptable  service  to  God,  if  they  put  you  to  death  ; 
the  cause  of  all  which  is  the  great  impiety  of  their  hearts, 
neither  approving  the  commands  of  my  Father,  nor  those 
which  I  bring  from  him.  I  thought  it  not  fit  to  tell  you 
these  things  till  I  was  about  to  leave  you,  because  while  I 
was  here,  all  the  malice  of  men  was  levelled  against  me, 
while  you  were  suffered  to  escape  :  but  when  I  am  gone 
from  you,  and  you  take  the  grand  employment  upon  your- 
selves of  revealing  my  Father's  will,  the  opposition  will  fall 
upon  you.  I  know  that  the  thoughts  of  my  leaving  you, 
fill  your  minds  with  anxiety ;  but  let  this  comfort  you,  the 
Holy  Ghost  is  not  to  come  till  I  have  left  you,  and  his 
coming  will  be  of  more  advantage  to  you  than  my  con- 
tinuing with  you ;  and  when  he  cometh,  he  will  plead  my 
cause  against  the  world,  and  charge  the  Jews  with  three 
sorts  of  actions  practised  in  their  courts.  1.  Widi  the 
crime  of  not  belicAing  me  to  be  the  Messiah.  2.  He 
M  ill  justify  my  mission  and  innocence,  by  my  ascension 
to  heaven,  taking  me  away  out  of  the  reach  of  human 
malice.  3  He  shall  work  revenge  upon  Satan  and  his 
instruments  who  crucified  me,  and  retoliate  destruction 
upon  them.  Besides  all  that  I  have  said,  I  have  many 
things  more  to  communicate  to  vou,  but  ve  cannot  bear 


380  j1  Complete  History 

them  now.  However,  when  the  Holy  Ghost  cometh, 
whose  title  is  the  Spirit  *  of  Truth,  he  will  instruct  you 
what  is  to  be  done.  What  he  doth  shall  tend  to  the  il- 
lustration of  me :  for  he  being  sent  from  my  Father  by 
me,  shall  in  all  things  accord  with  me,  and  thereby  ap- 
pear to  have  his  message  from  me,  and  to  declare  nothing 
to  you,  but  what  he  hath  from  me.  But  while  I  say  this, 
I  mean  not  to  appropriate  to  myself,  so  as  to  exclude  my 
Father,  but  because  all  things  are  common  to  me  and 
my  Father,  and  that  it  is  my  work  wholly  to  attend  my 
Father's  will,  therefore  whatsoever  of  this  nature  the  Holy 
Ghost  shall  reveal  to  you,  I  call  that  mine,  and  the  reveal- 
ing of  this,  his  taking  of  mine  and  declaring  it  to  you.  I 
shall  shortly  be  taken  from  you  for  a  time,  and  soon  after 
I  shall  be  with  you  again  before  my  ascension,  for  it  is  not 
possible  for  me  to  be  held  by  death  j  I  must  arise  and  go 
to  my  Father." 

This  latter  part  of  his  discourse  his  disciples  could  not 
comprehend:  Jesus  therefore,  to  remove  the  difficulty, 
explains  it,  by  saying,  "  You  shall  have  a  time  of  mourn- 
ing, and  the  world  of  joy;  but  your  sadness  shall  soon 
be  turned  to  rejoicing,  and  their's  ere  long  into  hea- 
viness. Your  sorrow  at  my  death  shall  be  like  the  pangs 
of  a  woman  in  travail ;  but  when  it  shall  appear  to  you, 
that  my  death  doth  but  usher  in  my  resurrection  and 
ascension,  as  the  pangs  of  travail  do  the  birth  of  a  child, 
then  your  sorrow  shall  vanish  at  the  presence  of  this  jo}", 
which  shall  be  lasting.  When  that  Spirit  is  come,  he 
shall  teach  you  all  things,  satisfy  all  your  doubts  and  ig- 
norances, that  you  shall  not  need  ask  me  any  more  ques- 
tions. 4-ftcr  my  departure  you  shall  use  a  new  form  in 
your  prayers  to  God,  which  hitherto  you  have  not  used, 
make  your  requests  to  him  in  my  name  ;  and  upon  the  ac- 
count of  your  being  my  disciples,  and  my  giving  you 
this  authority,  and  whatsoever  tends  to  the  fulfilling  of 
your  joy,  or  to  your  real  good  shall  be  granted  you. 
My  discourses  among  you  have  hitherto  been  obscure ; 
but  the  Holy  Ghost  shall  set  all  things  plainly  before  you. 
And  one  great  advantage  you  will  gain  by  my  ascension 


spirit.    See  John   xvi.  13. 


of  the  Holy  Bible.  381 

and  the  descent  of  the  Spirit,  that  you  shall  not  need  my 
oftbiing  up  your  prayers  for  you,   but   you  may  in  my 
name  offer  them  up  to  God  yourselves  ;  and  God,   out 
of  his  love  and  regard  to  those  that  believe  on  me,  shall 
grant  all  that  you  ask.     I  came  from  the  Father  into  the 
world  ;  and  now  I  leave  the  world  and  go  to  my  Father," 
This  was  such  a  plain  demonstration  of  all  that  he  had 
spoken,  that  the  disciples  scruple  no  more ;  their  under- 
standings are  enlightened  ;  and  they   no  longer  question 
Christ  or  his  mission,  "  Now,"  say  they,  "  we  perceive 
that  as  thou  knowest  all  things,  so  thou  art  pleased  to 
reveal  all  saving  truth  evidently  to  us  of  thine  own  ac- 
cord ;  this  convinces  us  that  God  sent  thee,  and  that  thou 
earnest  to  reveal  his  \\ill. "     Jesus  perceiving  their  for- 
wardness,   and    knowing  the  frailty  of  their  nature,  tells 
them ;   "  You  speak  a  little  confidently  now  of  your  be- 
lief, while  you  are  at  a  distance  from  danger :  but  the 
time  is  just  at  hand,  when  ye  shall  all  desert  me;  and 
though  ye  believe  on  me,  ye  will  not  then  confess  me, 
but  leave  me  alone.     But  though  you  shall  all   forsake 
me,  my  Father  will  not ;  for  he  will  continue  with  me, 
will  acknowledge  me  in  death  itself,   and  raise   me  up 
from  the  grave.     This  I  have  foretold  you,  that  you  may 
depend  on  me  for  all  kind  of  prosperity,  by  considering 
my  conquest  over  all  that  is  formidable  in  the  world ; 
therefore  you  ought  not  to  fear,  but  take  courage,  and 
hold  out  against  all  the  threats  and  terrors  of  the  world 
and  the  sufferings  in  it."      The  Holy  Jesus  having  ended 
his  sermon,  offers  up  a  solemn  prayer  to  the  Father,  that 
he  himself  might  be  glorified ;  and  that  those  who  were 
given  him,    might  be  kept  through    his  name ;   recom- 
mending his  apostles,  and  succeeding  Christians,  in  every 
future  age,  to  the  favourable  regards  of  his  Father,  and 
praying   for   their  union  on  earth,  and  glory  in  heaven. 
After  which,*  he  sung  an  hymn}-  with  his  disciples  ;  and 


*  After  vihich.  Our  author  fixes  this  at  the  time  when  our  Lord  sang  a  hymn 
■with  his  disciples,  probably  because  it  is  said,  Mark  xilv.  26,  "  When  they  had 
Bungan  hymn,  they  went  out,  &c."  but  most  writers  conceive  that  the  hymn  was 
sung  immediately  after  the  institution  of  the  Lord's  supper. 

t  Hyirm.    This  hymn  was  part  of  the  great  AUehijah,  beginning  at  the  U4th 


38-2  A  Complete  History 

tlien  goes  foi  th  with  them  Over  the  brook  Cedron,  to  the 
iiiownt  of  Olives,  to  a  village  called  Gethsemane,  ^vhtTe 
there  was  a  garden,*  into  which  he  entered  to  pray  with 
his  discij^les. 

Being  in  the  garden  with  tliem,  he  selects  his  favourite 
disciples  Pcter,t  James  and  John,  to  be  the  witnesses  of 
his  passion,  as  they  had  been  of  his  transfiguration  ;  the 
rest  being  left  near  the  entrance  of  the  garden,  to  watch 
the  approach  of  Judas  and  his  band.  With  these  three 
disciples  he  proceeded  further  into  the  garden.  Then  com- 
rnenced  his  unparallelled  agony,  and  he  retired  from  the 
rest,  about  the  distance  of  a  stone's  cast ;  where  he  began 
to  be  sore  amazed,  and  to  be  very  heavy.  And  saith  unto 
them,  "  My  soul  is  exceeding  sorrowful  even  unto  death: 
tarry  ye  here,  and  Vt'atch,"  Matt.  xxvi.  34.  For  it  was 
on  this  occasion  that  he  sustained  those  grievous  sorrows 
in  his  soul,  by  which,  as  well  as  by  his  dying  on  the  cross, 
he  became  a  sin-oft'ering,  and  accompliiihed  the  redemp- 


Psalm,  "  When  Israel  came  out  of  Egypt,"  and  ending  at  the  118th  inclusively. 
It  was  the  custom  of  the  Jews  after  sii])per  to  sing  verses  or  songs,  especially  over 
the  paschal  lamb  ;  at  %\  hich  time  they  sang  the  Psalms  abovementioned.  And 
though  it  is  generally  thought  that  this  was  the  hymn  which  Christ  sang  with 
his  disciples,  yet  it  is  possible,  that  it  was  some  other  hymn  more  particularly- 
adapted  to  tUis  institution. 

*  Garden.  It  is  probable  that  our  Lord  sought  in  this  place  that  retirement 
which  the  crowded  city  could  scarcely  afford  at  the  passover ;  and  he  might  also 
jirefer  it,  lest  the  people,  on  the  first  alarm  of  his  apprehension  should  rise  to 
rescue  him. 

Cedrcni  or  Kcdron  was,  as  its  name  signiSes,  a  shady  'valley  between  Jerusalem 
and  tlie  Mount  of  Olives,  through  which  the  brook  ran,  which  took  its  name 
iVom  the  place.  Tlie  gavuen  itself  most  probably  appertained  to  one  of  the  coun- 
try seats  situated  in  the  vicinity  of  the  metropolis,  belojigingto  some  friend  of 
Jesus,  who  jiermitted  him  and  his  apostles  occasionally  to  resort  thither  for 
privacy. 

The  word  Gcthr.eniane  signifies  the  valley  of  fatness,  a  name  derived,  jirobably, 
from  its  favourable  situation  and  excellent  ^oil. 

•j-  Peter.  The  kindiiess  of  our  Saviour  to  Peter,  in  selecting  him  with  the  other 
two  to  follow  him  on  this  occasion,  deserves  particular  remark  ;  for  it  was  almost 
immediately  after  he  had  so  solemnly  declared  that  in  the  course  cf  the  ensuing 
night  he  v.  oiilJ  thrice  deny  hin. 


of  the  Holy  Bible.  383 

tion  of  men.  "  And  he  was  wilhdrawn  from  thcni  about 
a  stone's  cast,"  Luke  xxii.  41.  His  human  nature  be- 
ing now  burdened  beyond  measure,  he  found  it  necessary 
to  retire,  and  pray  that  if  it  were  possible,  or  consistent 
uith  the  salvation  of  the  world,  he  might  be  delivered 
from  the  sufferings  which  were  then  lying  on  him.  For 
that  it  was  not  the  fear  of  dying  on  the  cross  which  made 
him  speak  and  pray  in  the  manner  here  related,  is  evident 
from  this,  that  to  suppose  it,  would  be  to  degrade  our 
Lord's  character  infinitely.  Make  his  sufferings  as  ter- 
rible as  possible  ;  clotlic  them  w  ith  all  the  aggravating 
circumstances  imaginable  ;  yet  if  no  more  is  included  iu 
them  but  the  pains  of  death,  for  Jesus,  whose  human 
nature  was  strengthened  far  beyond  the  natural  pitch,  by 
its  union  with  the  divine,  to  have  shrunk  at  the  prospect 
of  them,  would  shew  a  \veakness  w  hich  many  of  his  fol- 
lowers were  strangers  to,  encountering  more  terrible 
deaths,  without  the  least  emotion  :  and  he  kneeled  down 
and  prayed,  saying,  *'  Father,  if  thou  be  w  illing,  remove 
this  cup  from  me,"  i^uke  xxii.  42.  In  the  Greek  it  is, 
"  O  that  thou  woLildest  remove  this  cup  from  me  !"  For 
«  here  is  a  particle  of  wishing.  Matthew  says,  he  fell  on 
his  face,  and  prayed,  saying,  "  O  my  Father,  if  it  be  pos- 
sible, let  this  cup  pass  from  me."  He  first  kneeled  and 
prayed,  as  Luke  tells  us ;  then,  in  the  vehemence  of  his 
earnestness,  he  fell  on  his  face,  and  spake  the  words  re- 
corded by  Matthew  and  Mark.  In  the  mean  time,  his 
prayer,  though  most  fervent,  was  accompanied  with  due 
expressions  of  resignation :  for  he  immediately  added, 
"Nevertheless,  not  as  I  will,  but  as  thou  wilt,"  Matt. 
xxvi.  39.  Having  thus  prayed,  he  returned  to  his  dis- 
ciples, and  finding  them  asleep,  he  said  to  Peter,  "  Si- 
mon, sleepest  thou  ?  couldst  not  thou  watch  one  hour?" 
Mark  xiv.  37.  Thou  who  so  lately  boastedst  of  thy  cou- 
rage and  constancy  in  my  seivice,  "  Watch  \e  and  pray, 
lest  ye  enter  into  temptation,"  Mark  xiv.  38.  In  his 
greatest  distresses  he  never  lost  his  concern  for  the  wel- 
lare  of  his  disciples.  Nor  on  those  occasions  was  he  cha- 
grined with  the  ofiences  which  they  committed  through 
frailty  and  human  weakness:  on  the  contrary,  he  was 
always  ready  to  make  excuses  for  them :    "  The   spirit 


384  A  Complete  History 

truly  is  ready,  but  the  flesh  is  weak."  From  the  disciples 
falling  asleep  while  our  Lord  was  away,  as  well  as  from 
his  retiring  to  pray,  it  would  appear,  that  he  spent  some 
time  in  his  addresses.  The  sorrows  of  our  Lord's  soul  still 
continuing,  he  went  and  prayed  a  second  time  to  the 
same  purpose.  "  He  went  away  again  the  second  time, 
and  prayed,  saying,  O  my  Father,  if  this  cup  may  not 
pass  away  from  me,  except  I  drink  it,  thy  will  be  done," 
Matt.  XX vi.  42.  "  And  he  came  and  found  them  asleep 
again  :  for  their  eyes  were  heavy,"  Matt.  xxvi.  43.  He 
returned  thus  frequently  to  his  disciples,  that  by  reading 
his  distress  in  his  countenance  and  gesture,  they  might 
be  witnesses  of  his  passion.  Our  Lord's  pains  on  this 
occasion  were  intense  beyond  expression  ;  for  he  went 
away  the  third  time  to  pray.  And  notwithstanding  an 
angel  was  sent  from  heaven,  who  strengthened  him,  they 
threw  him  into  an  agony ;  upon  which,  he  prayed  more 
earnestl}^  Yet  the  sense  of  his  sufferings  increased ;  for 
they  agitated  his  whole  body  to  such  a  degree,  that  his 
blood  was  pressed  through  the  pores  of  his  skin  along 
with  his  sweat,  and  fell  down  in  great  drops  on  the 
ground.  "  And  he  left  them,  and  went  away  again," 
Matt.  xxvi.  44.  "  And  there  appeared  an  angel  unto  him 
from  heaven,  strengthening  him,"  Luke  xxii.  43.  *'  And 
being  in  an  agony,  he  prayed  more  earnestly :  and  his 
sweat*  was  as  it  were  great  drops  of  blood  falling  down 


•  His  sweat,  he.  Some  expositors  have  thought  that  this  expression  implies 
that  his  drops  of  sweat  viere  large  and  clammy  Hie  clots  of  gore;  and  others  hiave  ta- 
ken it  in  a  metaphorical  sense  ;  fancying  that  as  those  who  weep  bitterly  are  said 
to  weep  blood,  so  they  may  be  said  to  sweat  blood,  who  sweat  excessively,  by  rea- 
son of  hard  labour,  or  acute  pain.  But  the  greater  part  of  good  writers  more 
justly  affirm,  that  our  Lord's  sweat  was  really  mixed  with  blood  to  such  a  degree, 
that  its  colour  and  consistency  was  as  if  it  had  been  wholly  blood.  For  the  Greek 
particle,  in  the  above  sentence  ^crs;  (a*  it  were,)  does  not  always  Atnote  similitude, 
but  sometimes  reality,  as  John  i.  14,  as  the  only  begotten  of  the  Father. 

Dr.  Whitby  observes  that  Aristotle,  and  Siculus  mention  bloody  sweats  as  attend- 
ing some  extraordinary  agony  of  mind.  Leti,  in  his  life  of  Pope  Sixtus,  v.  p.  200  ; 
Sir  John  Chardin,  in  his  history  of  Persia;  and  Dr.  Jackson,  in  his  works,  vol. 
li.  p.  819,  all  mention  instances  of  thig  phenomenon.  Voltaire  also,  in  his  Univers. 


I 


of  the  Hull/  Bible.  385 

to  tlic  j^round. "  Luke  xxii.  44.  Thus  Jesus  suficred  un- 
sj)cakal)lc  sorrows  in  liis  soul,  as  long  as  the  divine-  wis- 
domsuw  fit  At  Iciii^tli  he  obtained  relief,  beinj^  heard  on 
account  of  his  j)erlect  submission  to  the  will  of  God. 
"  .Vnd  when  he  rose  up  liom  prayer,  and  was  come  to 
his  disciples,  he  found  them  sleepins^  for  sorrow,"  Luke 
xxii.  45.  This  circumstance  shews  how  much  the  disciples 
were  affected  w  ith  their  Master's  sufferings.  The  sensa- 
tions of  grief  which  they  felt  at  the  sight  of  his  distress  so 
overpowered  them,  that  they  sunk  into  sleep.  "  Then 
cometh  he  to  his  disciples,  and  saith  unto  them,  Sleep  on 
now,  and  take  your  rest,"  Matt.  xxvi.  45.  This  sentence 
may  be  read  interrogatively,  "  Do  ye  sleep  still,  and 
take  your  rest?  (see  Mill  on  Mark  xiv.  41,)  behold  the 
hour  is  at  hand,  and  the  Son  of  man  is  betrayed  into  the 
hands  of  sinners."  "  Rise,  let  us  be  going:  behold,  he 
is  at  hand  that  doth  betray  me,"  Matt.  xxvi.  46. 

While  the  blessed  Jesus,  with  his  disciples,  continued 
in  the  garden,  Judas  repaired  to  the  priests  with  whom  he 
had  agreed  to  betray  him,  and  told  them  that  this  was  the 
proper  moment  for  the  execution  of  their  enterprise, 
for  it  was  night.  This  was  the  advantage  they  desired, 
because  they  durst  not  seize  him  by  day  for  fear  of  the 
people.  Coming  thither  with  an  armed  multitude*  and 
the  traitor  Judas  at  their  head,t  they  enter  the  garden, 
where  they  soon  found  the  object  of  their  malice  :  but  the 
Holy  Jesus  having  by  this  time  joined  his  disciples,  and 


Hist.  ch.  142  says,  "Charles  IX.  died  in  his  twenty-fifth  year.  The  malady  he 
died  of  was  very  extraordinary  :  the  blood  gushed  out  of  all  his  pores.  This  acci- 
dent, of  which  there  are  some  instances,  was  owing  either  te  excessive  fear,  to  vi- 
olent passion,  or  to  a  warm  and  melancholy  constitution." 

*  Armed  Multitude-  This  was  composed  partly  of  a  band  of  Roman  soldiers, 
procured  from  the  Governor  by  the  Priests ;  and  partly  of  a  company  of  the 
Pharisees,  Elders,  and  principal  Priests,  and  their  servants,  carrying  lanterns 
to  shew  the  way ;  for,  though  it  was  always  full-moon  at  the  passover,  the  sky 
might  probably  be  douded,  and  the  place  to  which  they  were  going  shaded  with 
trees. 

f  Head.     See  Luke  xxii.  47. 
\0L.    II.  3  C 


^86  ,A  Complete  History 

standing  among  them,  that  the  guards  sent  to  apprehend 
him,  might  not  mistake  him,  Judas  had  given  them  the 
hint,  tiiat  he  whom  he  should  kiss  was  the  person,  ^ut 
Judas  might  have  spared  this, part  of  his  treason,  for  the 
Divinity  of  his  Master  soon  discovered  him.  However, 
approaching  him  with  an  address  of  seeming  civiHty,  he 
kissed  him.  Then  Jesus,  seeing  the  soldiers  coming  to- 
wards him,  demanded  whom  they  sought?  They  answer- 
ed, "  Jesus  of  Nazareth;"  upon  which,  knowing  his  time 
"was  now  come,  he  tells  thtm,  "  I  am  he  ;"  thus  inti- 
mating, that  he  was  willing  to  put  himself  into  their 
hands.  Tiien  offering,  with  their  profane  hands,  to  seize 
him,  the  impetuous  rays  of  glory  which  issued  from  his 
Divine  countenance,  affected  them  so  powerfully,  that 
they  fell  to  the  ground.  But  these  soldiers,  true  servants 
of  the  persecuting  Jews,  recovering  from  their  fall,  i^nd 
rai?>ed  by  the  permission  of  Jesus,  still  persisted  in  their 
enquiry  after  him,  who  was  ready  and  desirous  to  he  sacri- 
ficed. But  Jesus,  as  he  had  done  before,  begins  the  enquiry, 
and  informs  them  that  he  was  Jesus  of  Nasareth,  nhom 
they  sought :  upon  which,  one  of  the  most  bold  and  au- 
dacious advancing  to  seize  him,  Peter,  as  if  ready  singly 
to  engage  the  wliole  band,  drew  his  sword,  and  by  a  des- 
perate blow  at  the  head  of  Malchus,  a  servant  of  the  High-' 
Priest,  cut  off  his  right  ear.  But  Jesus  rebuked  the  in- 
temperance of  his  passion,  and  commanded  him  to  put 
up  his  sword,*  saying,  "  They  that  strike  with  the  sword 
shall  perish  with  the  sword  ;"  intimating  hereby,  that  we 
ought  to  restrain  all  violent  expressions  of  anger  and  re- 
veng'C.  And  then  turning  to  Malchus,  he  touched  his 
wounded  head  ai  d  cured  him;  adding  to  the  former  in- 
stance of  his  power,  in  casting  down  to  the  ground  those 


*  Sivord.  There  were  two  swords  in  Christ's  family,  and  St.  Peter  bore  one  : 
Either  because  he  was  to  kill  the  paschal-lamb ;  or  according  to  the  custom  of  the 
country,  to  secure  them  from  beasts  of  prey,  which  in  those  parts  were  frequent 
and  dangerous  in  the  night.  But  now  St.  Peter  used  it  in  an  unjustifiable  manner ; 
for  as  the  kingdom  of  Christ  is  not  of  this  world,  the  defence  of  it  is  not  of  a  secu- 
lar nature.  The  weapons  of  the  Christian  warfare,  are  not  carnal  but  spirituaU 
^ret  rendered  invuicible  by  his  mighty  power. 


of  the  IIoUj  nihil'.  387 

who  caiTTe  to  take  him,  an  yet  of  miraculous  mercy,  iu 
curing  the  wound  oi"  an  enemy  itillicted  by  a  li  lend.  But 
lurthcr  lo  convince  Peter  of"  the  useiessness  of  hum m  pow- 
er in  his  delence,  he  tells  him,  "  li'*  I  would  forcibly  Ijc 
relieved,  1  could  j)ray  to  my  Father,  who  would  immedi- 
ately furnish  me  with  an  army  oi'ans;cls.  But  the  propliets 
have  ibretold  that  I  must  suHer,  and  their  predictions  must 
be  accomplished."  He  therefore  permitted  himself  to  be; 
taken,  but  not  his  disciples  ;f  for  he  it  was  that  set  them 
their  bounds  ;  and  he  secured  his  aposties  to  be  witnesses 
of  his  sufterings  and  glory,  after  u  hich  they  were  to  have 
their  share  and  I'ellow  ship  in  affliction. 

When  our  Blessed  Lord,  in  humble  resignation  to  his 
Father's  will,  and  for  the  redemption  of  the  world,  had 
yielded  himself  into  the  hands  of  his  enemies,  his  disci- 
ples fled  ;.t.  among  whom  was  a  young  man,  ^  that  had  a 
linen  cloth  cast  about  his  naked  body,  whom  the  soldiers 
endeavoured  to  apprehend  by  laying  hold  on  the  linen ; 
but  he  left  it  in  their  hands,  and  fled  |1  from  them  naked, 
though  Peter  followed  his  Master  at  a  distance. 

After  the  soldiers  had  bound  Jesus,  they  dragged  him 
away  to  the  High- Priest's,  but  the  house  of  Annas,  which 
stood  on  mount  Sion,  bemg  in  the  way  to  the  house  of 
Caiaphas  the  High-Priest,  he  was  led  thither,  as  to  die 
first  stage  of  their  triumph  over  him.  When  the  band 
of  soldiers  arrived  at  the  High-Priest's  with  Jesus,  they 
found  many  of  the  chief  priests,  and  the  Scribes,  and  the 


•  If.    SeeMatt.xxvi.  53,  8cc.  f  Disciples.  See  John  xviii.  8. 

\  Fled.     SeeTMatt.  xxvi.  56.     Mark  xiv.  50,  51,  &c. 

§  Toung  Man.  This  is  by  some  supposed  to  be  John  the  Evangelist,  who 
through  grief  had  forgot  to  lay  aside  his  upper  garment,  which  in  festivals  they 
used  to  put  on,  and  began  to  make  his  escape  j  but  being  arrested  by  this  linen 
garment,  he  was  forced  to  leave  that  behind  him,  that  himself  might  avoid  his 
Master's  danger.  But  it  is  far  more  probable  that  this  young  man  was  the  pro- 
prietor of  the  garden,  who  being  awakened  by  the  noise,  came  out  of  his  adja- 
cent apartment  with  the  linen  cloth  in  which  he  had  been  lying,  and  having  a 
friendship  for  Jesus  followed  him,  forgetting  his  dress. 

II  Fled.     When  John  had  conquered  the  first  emotions  of  his  terror,  he  return- 
<d,  and  was  shortly  after  in  the  High-Priest's  hall.    See  John  xviii.  16. 


388  A  Complete  History 

elders,  assembled  there.  Some  persons  of  distinction, 
hov\  ever,  may  have  been  absent,  whose  coming  the  rest 
would  wait  for.  Wherefore,  although  the  soldiers  brought 
Jesus  to  the  High-Priest's  shortly  after  midnight,  his  trial 
did  not  begin  till  about  three  in  the  morning ;  the  inter- 
mediate time  being  spent  in  procuring  witnesses,  in  send- 
ing for  the  absent  members,  and  in  gathering  the  clerks 
and  officers  of  the  court.  For  that  Jesus  was  tried  by  the 
council,  not  in  the  temple  as  many  suppose,  but  in  the 
High-Priest's  palace,  is  evident  from  John  xviii.  28,  where 
we  are  told,  that  they  led  Jesus  from  Caiaphas's  house  to 
the  praetorium.*  "  And  as  soon  as  it  was  day,  the  elders  of 
the  people,  and  the  chief  priests,  and  the  Scribes,  came  to- 
gether, and  led  him  into  their  council,"  The  court  there- 
fore being  duly  constituted,  and  the  prisoner  placed  at  the 
bar,  the  trial  began  about  break  of  day. f  "  The  High- Priest 
then  asked  Jesus  of  his  disciples,  and  of  his  doctrine  :"  he 
asked  him  who  his  disciples  were,  for  what  end  he  had 
gathered  them,  whether  it  was  to  make  himself  a  king ; 
and  what  the  doctrine  was  which  he  taught  them  ?  In  these 
questions  there  was  a  great  deal  of  art.  For  as  the  crime 
laid  to  our  Lord's  charge  was,  that  he  had  set  himself  up 
for  the  Messiah  and  deluded  the  people,  they  expected  he 
would  claim  that  dignity  in  their  presence,  and  so  v\  ith- 
out  farther  trouble  they  would  have  condemned  him  on 
his  own  confession.  But  to  oblige  a  prisoner  to  confess 
what  might  take  away  his  life,  iDcing  an  unjust  method 
of  procedure,  Jesus  complained  of  it  with  reason,  and 
bade  them  prove  what  they  laid  to  his  charge  by  wit- 
nesses. |  "  Jesus  answered  him,  I  spake  openly  to  the 
world  ;  I  ever  taught  in  the  synagogue,  and  in  the  tem- 
ple, whither  the  Jews  always  resort,  and  in  secret  have  I 
said  nothing.  Why  askest  thou  me?  ask  them  Mhich 
heard  me,  what  I  have  said  unto  them  ;  behold,  they 
know  what  I  said."  It  was  greatly  to  the  honour  of  our 
Lord's  character,  that  all  his  actions  were  done  in  public, 


*  Prxtorium.     Luke  xxii.  66.  f  Day.    John  xviii.  19. 

\  Witnesses.     John  xviii.  20. 


of  the  Holy  Bible.  389 

under  the  eye  even  of  his  enemies;  because,  had  he 
been  carrvini^  on  any  imposture,  the  lovers  of  truth  and 
j^oodncss  li:id  thus  abundant  opportunities  to  have  detected 
iiim.  With  propriety,  therefore,  in  this  defence,  he  ap- 
pealed to  that  part  of  his  cliaracter ;  nevertheless  his  an- 
swer was  thought  disrespectful,  for,  "  When  he  had  thus 
sixjken,  one  of  the  officers  which  stood  by,  struck  Jesus 
with  the  palm  of  his  hand,  saying,  Answerest  thou  the 
High-priest  so?"  He  meekly  replied,  "  If  I  have  spoken 
evil,  bear  witness  of  the  evil;"  shew  wherein  it  lies: 
"  but  if  well,  why  smitest  thou  me?"  Thus  Jesus  be- 
came an  example  of  his  own  precept,  *  bearing  the 
greatest  injuries  with  a  patience  that  could  not  be  pro- 
voked. "  Now  Annas  had  sent  him  bound  to  Caiaphas, 
the  Hisrh- Priest."  The  evana:elist  mentions  that  Jesus 
•was  sent  to  the  High- Priest,  because  he  had  before  said, 
that  he  was  first  sent  to  Annas,  the  High-Priest's  father- 
in-law.  Moreover,  he  takes  notice  that  he  was  sent  bound 
to  the  High- Priest,  to  shew  the  inhumanity  of  the  officer 
who  struck  him  in  that  condition.  When  the  council 
found  that  Jesus  declined  answering  the  questions  where- 
by they  would  have  drawn  from  him  an  acknowledg- 
ment of  his  being  the  Messiah,  they  examined  many 
witnesses  to  prove  his  having  assumed  that  character. 
For,  by  what  afterwards  happened,  it  appears  that  they 
considered  such  a  pretension  as  blasphemy  in  his  mouth, 
who  being  nothing  but  a  man,  as  they  supposed,  could 
not,  without  affronting  the  majesty  of  God,  take  the  ti- 
tle of  God's  Son,  which  of  right  belonged  to  Messiah. f 
"  Now  the  chief  priests  and  eiders,  and  all  the  council, 
sought  false  witness  against  Jesus,  to  put  him  to  death." 
In  examining  the  witnesses,  they  acted  like  interested 
and  enraged  persecutors,  rather  than  impartial  judges. 
For  they  formed  their  questions  after  such  a  manner,  as, 
if  possible,  to  draw  from  them  expressions  which  they 
might  pervert  into  suspicions  of  guilt,  upon  which  they 
might  condemn  Jesus.  "  But  they  found  none.  Yea, 
though  many  false  witnesses  came,  yet  found  they  none :  *' 


•  Pj 


'recept.     Matt.  v.  44.  f  Messiah.     Matt.  xxvi.  59. 


390  A  Complete  History 

notvvilhstanding  they  were  at  the  utmost  pains  to  pro- 
cure siicli  a  proof  as  in  the  eye  of  the  law  would  justify 
the  sentence  they  were  resolved  to  pass  upon  Jesus,  they 
exerted  themselves  to  no  purpose.  Because,  though 
they  suborned  many  witnesses,  these,  in  giving  their  tes- 
timony, contradicted  one  another  ;  a  circumstance  which 
the  most  illiterate  person  in  the  court  could  not  but  be 
sensible  invalidated  their  evidence.*  "  For  many  bare 
false  witness  against  him,  but  their  witness  agreed  not 
together."  Mark.  xiv.  56.  "  At  the  last  came  two  false 
witnesses,  and  said,  This  fellow  said,  I  am  able  to  destroy 
the  temple  of  God,  and  to  build  it  in  three  days.  But 
neither  so  did  their  witness  agree  together. "  As  they 
gave  this  testimony  of  their  own  accord,  so  it  was  mo^it 
false.'  For  Jesus  never  said  he  would  destroy  and  build 
the  temple  of  Jerusalem,  as  they  affirmed.  At  the  first 
passover  indeed,  after  he  had  banished  the  traders  out  of 
the  temple,  the  Jews  required  him  to  shew  by  what  au- 
thority he  took  upon  him  to  make  that  reformation  ;  and 
in  answer  he  ifeferred  them  to  the  miracle  of  his  resur- 
rection :  "  Destroy,"  said  he,  "  this  temple,"  pointing 
probably  to  his  body,  "  and  I  \\'ill  raise  it  up  in  three 
days."  The  witnesses,  it  seems,  either  through  igno- 
rance or  malice,  perverted  his  answer  into  an  affirmation 
that  he  was  able  to  destroy  and  build  the  temple  in  three 
days.  And  the  judges  reckoned  it  blasphemy,  because  it 
was  an  effect  that  could  be  accomplished  by  nothing  less 
than  divine  power.  Wherefore  these  men  are  justly 
branded  through  the  world  with  the  name  of  "  false  wit- 
nesses," and  their  testimony  was  deservedly  disregarded 
by  our  Lord.  When  the  High- Priest  found  that  Jesus 
took  little  notice  of  the  things  which  the  w  itnesses  said 
against  him,  he  fell  into  a  passion,  supposing  that  he  in- 
tended to  put  an  affront  upon  the  council  ;  for  he  arose 
from  his  seat,  and  spake  to  him,  desiring  him  to  give 
the  reason  of  his  conduct. f  "  And  the  High-Priest 
arose,  and  said  unto  him,  Answerest  thou  nothing  ?  What 
is   it  which  these  witness  a sn> in st  thee?    But  Jesus  held 


i 


•  Evidence.     Mark  xiv-  56.  •}•  Conduct.  Matt.  xxvi.  62. 


efthe  Holy  Bible.  391 

his  peace,  and  answered  nothin£^."-='^  Upon  this,  some 
of  the  council  spake  to  him,  saying,  "  Art  thou  the 
Christ?  tell  us."  And  he  said  unto  them,  "  If  I  tell 
you,  you  will  not  believe.  And  if  I  also  ask  you,"  that 
is,  propose  the  proofs  of  my  mission,  and  require  you  to 
give  your  opinion  of  ihem,  "  ye  will  not  answer  me,  nor 
let  me  J^o." 

The  High- Priest,  therefore,  to  ctit  the  trial  short  and 
ensnare  Jesus,  obliged  him  upon  oath  to  tell,  whether 
or  no  he  was  the  Christ.  "  And  the  High-Priest  an- 
swered and -said  unto  him,  I  adjure  thee  by  the  living 
God,  that  thou  tell  us,  Whether  thou  be  the  Christ,  the 
Son  of  God?"  The  craft  of  the  question  lay  in  this,  that 
if  Jesus  answered  it  in  the  aflirmative,  they  were  ready  to 
condemn  him  as  a  blasphemer  ;  but  if  in  the  negative, 
they  proposed  to  punisli  him  as  an  impostor,  who,  by 
accepting  the  honours  and  titles  of  the  Messiah  from  the 
people,  had  deceived  them.  *'  And  Jesus  said,  lam.  "f 
Btiiig  put  upon  oath,  or,  according  to  Jewish  customs, 
being  adjured  by  the  magistrate,  he  could  no  longer  de- 
cline answering. I  He  therefore  confessed  the  charge, 
and  added,  "  Nevertheless,''  {rrxw,  moreover,)^)  "  I  say 
unto  you,  Hereai'ter, ||  ye  shall  see  the  Son  of  man  sit- 
ting on  the  right  hand  of  power,  and  coming  in  the 
clouds  of  heaven  : "  Ye  shall  see  the  sign  from  heaven, 
which  ye  have  so  often  demanded  in  confirmation  of  my 
mission.  "  Then  said  they  all.  Art  thou  then  the  Son  of 
God  *?"**  A  number  of  them  cried  out  together,  feigning 
great  astonishment  at  the  blasphem}-,  as  they  were 
pleased  to  call  it,  of  his  answer,  and  desiring  him  to  re- 
peat it,  lest  they  might  have  mistaken  him.     "  And  he 


*  Nothing.  Mark  xiv.  61. 
•f  /  am.     Mark  xiv.  62. 

I  Answering.     Levit.  v.  1. 

5  Moreover.    See  Blackwall's  Sac."  Class,  vol.  ii.  p.  132. 

II  Hereafter,     kv  agti.     Heinsius  would  have  these  words  joined  together,  SO  as 
to  make  u^x^n,  the  same  with  a.nngTta-fA.aun,  'vere  p(gne. 

•*  GaJ.    Lukexxii.  70. 


392  J  Cotnplete  Historij 

said  unto  them,  Ye  say  that  I  am."  This,  according  to 
the  Jewish  manner  of  speaking,  was  a  plain  and  strong 
affirmation  of  the  thing  expressed.  When  the  High- 
Pnest  heard  our  Lord's  second  reply,  he  solemnly  rent 
his  clothes,*  crying  out  that  he  had  spoken  blasphemy, 
and  appealing  to  the  council :  "  What  need  we  any  fur- 
ther witnesses?  Ye  have  heard  the  blasphemv. "  The 
council  replied,  *'  As  you  have  justly  observed,  what  need 
have  we  of  witness  now,  seeing  we  ourselves  have  heard 
in  what  manner  he  has  blasphemed."  And  being  asked 
what  punishment  he  deserved,  they  answered,  that  he 
deserved  death.  They  condemned  him  unanimously, 
excepting  Nicodemus,  and  Joseph  of  Arimathea,  and  a 
few  more,  who  being  his  disciples,  (John  xii.  42)  would, 
if  they  were  present,  remonstrate  no  doubt  against  the 
iniquity  of  this  sentence.  *'  Then  did  they  spit  in  his 
face,  and  buffeted  him,  and  others  smote  him  with  the 
palms  of  their  hands,"  saying,  "  Prophesy  unto  us,  thou 
Christ,  who  is  he  that  smote  thee?"  It  \\as  hardly  possi- 
ble for  those  miscreants  to  invent  any  thing  more  expres- 
sive of  the  contempt  in  which  they  held  our  Lord's  pre- 
tensions to  be  the  Messiah. 

.  Thus  was  the  Judge  of  the  world  placed  at  the  bar  of 
his  own  creatures,  falsely  accused  b}'  the  witnesses,  un- 
justly condemned  by  his  judges,  and  barbarously  in- 
sulted by  all.  Yet  because  it  was  agreeable  to  the  end 
of  his  coming,  he  patiently  submitted,  tliough  he  could 
with  a  frown   have  made  his  judges,  his  accusers,  and 


*  Clothes.  Rending  of  clothes  was  an  expression  sometimes  of  deep  grief, 
sometimes  of  holy  zeal.  The  precepts,  Lev.  x.  6.  xxi.  10,  forbidding  the  high 
priest  to  rend  his  clothes,  relates  only  to  the  pontifical  garments,  and  to  private 
mourning,  that  is,  mourning  on  account  of  the  calamities  befalling  himself  or 
friends.  Griefs  of  this  kind  the  chief  minister  of  religion  was  not  to  make  pub- 
lic by  any  outward  sign  whatever.  But  it  was  neither  unlawful  nor  unusual  for 
him  to  rend  his  ordinary  garments  on  account  of  public  calamities,  or  instances  of 
gross  wickedness,  as  a  testimony  of  his  grief  for  the  one,  and  abhorrence  of  the 
other.  See  1  Maccab.  xi.  71.  That  the  High-Priest  was  clothed  in  ordinary 
apparel  on  this  occasion,  appears  from  Exod.  xxix.  29,  30,  where  the  pontifical 
garments  are  ordered  to  desceiad  from  father  to  son ;  and  therefore  were  to  be 
worn  only  at  their  consecration,  ar.d  when  they  ministered. 


of  the  IloUj  nihle.  393 

those  who  had  him  in  custody,  all  to  drop  down  dead  in  a 
nioiiKiit,  or  shrivel  into  noihin<r. 

During  tlie  time  tliat  this  important  event  was  depend- 
ing, Peter,  ^^  lio  had  followed  our  Lord  at  a  distance,  and 
had  taken  his  place  in  the  halladjiicei.t  to  the  room  in  wiiich 
Jesus  was  examined,  and  hoped  to  have  remained  among 
the  servants  unsuspected,  was  warming  himseliat  the  fire, 
desiring  to  see  the  issue  of"  this  fatal  night.  He  had  been 
admitted  by  a  maid-servant,  through  the  interest  of  John, 
%\ho  went  in  with  him,  but  advanced  it  should  seem  into 
the  hall  of  judgment.  The  servant-maid,  fixing  her  eyes 
upon  him,  charged  him  with  being  one  of  the  diseij)les 
of  Jesus.  But  Peter,  surprised  at  the  unexpected  disco- 
very, confidently  denied  him  before  them  all,  saying, 
*'  1  do  not  so  much  as  know  him,  nor  understand  what 
you  mtan."  Upon  which,  turning  away  as  one  affronted, 
he  went  out  into  the  portico,  and  while  lie  was  there,  the 
cock  crew.* 

Simon  Peter,  incommoded  probably  by  the  coldness 
of  the  air,  returned  to  the  hall,  and  mingled  with  the  nu- 
merous servants  there  in  waiting  ;  when  another  young 
woman  observing  him,  said  "  Surely  this  is  one  of  them, 
and  perhaps  he  has  come  hither  as  a  spy."  This  excited 
a  general  attention  to  him,  and  he  was  asked,  "  Art  thou 
not  one  of  his  disciples  ?"  Another  perceiving  his  con- 
fusion, charged  it  home  upon  him,  saying,  "  It"  is  cer- 


*  Cock  Crew.  It  is  strange  that  this  circumstance  did  not  remind  him  of  onr 
I-ord's  prediction ;  perhaps  it  did  ;  and  he  might  return  resolved  to  be  more  coura- 
geous should  he  be  again  attacked. 

To  this  part  of  the  history  it  has  been  objected,  that  the  Jews,  as  their  tradition 
goes,  never  kept  any  cocks  within  the  walls  of  Jerusalem,  and  consequently  that 
Peter  could  not  hear  them  crow,  while  he  was  in  the  High-  Priest's  palace.  But  the 
objection  may  be  removed  either  by  calling  the  tradition  itself  in  question,  because 
It  contradicts  the  testimony  of  writers  whose  veracity  is  indub'.tabl;,  and  who  could 
not  but  know  the  customs  of  the  age  in  which  they  lived  :  also  because  many  tradi- 
tions of  this  kind  were  framed  by  the  Rabbies,  with  a  view  to  magnify  the  sanctity 
of  Jerusalem.  Or  the  objection  maybe  removed  by  supposing  that  the  Pomans 
who  lived  in  the  city,  neglecting  the  institutions  of  the  Jews,  might  keep  this  kind 
of  fowl  about  their  houses,  perhaps  for  their  table,  or  for  their  auspices,  a  sort  of 
divination  they  were  peculiarly  addicted  to. 

Vol.  II.  3D 


394  ^i  Compf»ie  History 

tainly  so :  thou  art  also  one  of  them,  and  deservest  to  suf- 
fer with  thy  master."  Peter  being  now  exceedingly  alar- 
med, and  wishing  to  throw  off  all  suspicion  of  his  belong- 
ing to  Jesus,  again  denied  in  the  strongest  manner,  even 
with  an  oath,  and  said  to  his  accuser,  '^  Man,  why  dost 
thou  talk  thus  ?  I  solemnly  declare,  and  call  God  to  wit- 
ness,  that  I  ani  not  one  of  them^  and  do  not  so  much  as 
know  the  man." 

This  positive  denial  seemed  to  lull  the  suspicions  of  the 
company  for  the  present  \  but,  about  an  hour  afterwards, 
another  man  in  the  company  detected  him,  and  affirmed 
that  he  was  indeed  a  follower  of  Jesus,  and  that  his  dialect, 
which  was  that  of  Galilee,  betrayed  him  ;  for  it  was  un- 
derstood that  our  Lord's  disciples  were  chiefly  of  that  dis- 
trict. At  this  moment,  one  of  the  domestic  servants  of 
the  High-Priest,  and  a  relation  of  Malcbus,  whose  ear 
had  been  cut  off  by  Peter,  pressed  the  charge  home  upon 
him,  and  said,  "  How  can  you  have  the  effrontery  to 
deny  it?  Take  care  what  }ou  say.  Did  not  I  myself  see 
you  in  the  garden  with  him  ?"  Then  Peter,  terrified  to 
the  last  degree,  denied  it  again  more  violently  than  ever ; 
and  that  he  might  no  more  be  called  in  question,  began 
to  curse  and  swear,  solemnly  imprecating  the  judgments 
of  God  upon  himself,  if  he  knew  any  thing  aboiit  Jesus. 
And  having  thus  repeatedly  denied  his  master  in  tliis 
shocking  manner,  he  immediately  w^nt  out ;  and  at  that 
moment,  according  to  the  warning  first  given  him,  the 
cock  crew  the  second  time.  But  just  before  he  with- 
drew,  our  Lord  having  been  examined,  was  brought  back 
through  the  hall,  and  probably  was  within  hearing,  when 
Peter  thus  ungratefully  and  profanely  denied  him.  He 
turned  about,  and  looked  at  Peter,  with  such  a  mixture 
of  earnestness  and  tenderness  in  his  countenance,  a&, 
through  the  energy  of  the  Si^irit  that  attended  it,  pierced 
him  to  the  heart  ;  so  that  when  Peter  recollected  what 
our  Lord  had  first  said  to  him  when  he  predicted  his  fall, 
he  could  no  longer  bear  the  place,  or  stand  in  the  presence 
of  his  injured  Master,  but,  overwhelmed  with  grief  and 
shame,  and  covering  his  head  m  ith  his  mantle,  he  went  out 


of  the  Holy  Bible.  395 

and  wept  bitterly,  earnestly  intrcating  the  divine  pardon 
for  so  great  and  incxeusable  a  sin.* 

The  priests  and  elders  having  condemned  Jesus  for  the 
pretended  crime  of  blasphemy,  consulted  togedier  again, 
and  resolved  to  carry  him  before  the  goveri»or,  that  he 
like.wise  might  give  sentence  against  him.  They  could 
not  otherwise  accomplish  their  purpose ;  the  power  of 
life  and  death  being  now  taken  out  of  their  hands. 
"  Then  led  they  Jesus  from  Caiaphas  unto  the  hall  of 
judgment,  the  prietorium,  the  governor's  palace,"  John 
xviii.  28.  From  the  history  of  the  Acts  it  appears,  that 
the  Roman  governors  of  Judea  resided  commonl}'^  at  Ce- 
sarea,  and  that  there  was  only  an  inferior  officer  in  Jeru- 
salem, with  a  single  legion  to  keep  the  peace  of  the 
city.  At  the  great  festivals,  however,  they  came  up  to 
prevent  or  suppress  tumults,  and  to  administer  justice. 
Accordingly  it  is  insinuated,  John  xvii.  39,  that  Pihite 
"was  wont  to  give  judgment  in  Jerusalem  at  the  passovers  : 
"  Ye  have  a  custom  that  I  should  release  unto  you  one 
at  the  passoven"  Being  come,  therefore,  as  usual,  a 
while  before  the  feast,  Pilate  heard  of  the  stir  that .  was 
among  the  rulers,  and  was  informed  of  ti-ve  character  of 
the  person  on  whose  account  it  was  made.  It  seems  Ni- 
codemus,  or  Joseph  of  Arimathea,  or  some  other  friend, 
had  told  him  of  the  affair;  for  he  entertained  a  just  no- 
tion of  it,  "  He  knew  that  the  chief  priests  had  delivered 
him  for  envy."  Having  purified  themselves  in  order  to 
eat  the  passover,  they  would  not  enter  the  palace  which 
was  the  house  of  a  heathen,  for  iear  of  contracting  de- 


•  Sin.  The  admonition  of  St.  Paul  to  the  Corinthians  (1  Cor.  x.  12,)  "  Let 
him  that  thinketh  he  standeth  take  heed  lest  he  fall,^'  is  strongly  enforced  by  this 
affecting  story.  Self-confidence,  cowardice,  needless  association  with  the  ene- 
mies of  Christ,  are  evils  which  the  example  of  Peter  should  teach  us  to  shun. 
Who  can  help  saying,  when  such  a  champion  falls,  "  Lord,  what  is  man !" 
What  is  our  boasted  strength  but  weakness  !  and  if  we  are  left  to  ourselves,  how 
do  our  most  solemn  resolutions  melt  like  sno%v  before  the  sun.  Let  us  then  watch 
and  pray,  lest  we  enter  into  temptation  ;  and  if,  at  any  time,  temptation  has  pre- 
vailed, let  us  like  Peter  retire  from  the  snares  and  business  of  life,  and  weep  bit- 
terly for  our  transgressions. 


396  J  Complete  Histofy 

filement.  They  stood,  therefore,  before  the  palace  wait- 
ing' for  the  governor,  who  on  such  occasions  came  out  to 
them. 

And  now  Judas  Iscariot,  who  had  delivered  his  Master 
into  the  h;inds  of  the  council,  finding  his  project  turn  out 
quite  otherwise  than  he  expected,  was  pierced  with  the 
deepest  remorse.  Therefore,  to  make  some  reparation 
for  the  injury,  he  came  and  confessed  his  sin  openly  be- 
fore the  chief  priests,  and  offered  them  the  money  with 
M hich  they  had  hired  him  to  commit  it,  earnestly  wisliing 
that  they  would  talie  it  back.  But  they  would  not  relax 
their  sentence  in  the  least,  nor  abate  the  violence  of  their 
inalicious  prosecution ;  affirming,  that  notwithstanding 
he  might  think  the  prisoner  innocent,  and  for  that  reason 
had  sinned  in  bringing  mischief  upon  him,  they  were 
not  to  blame,  because  they  knew  him  to  be  a  blasphemer 
who  deserved  to  die.  And  thev  said,  "  What  is  that  to 
us?  see  thou  to  that."  When  Judas  found  that  he  could 
give  his  Master  no  help,  his  conscience  being  enraged, 
lashed  him  more  furiously  than  before,  suggesting 
thoughts  which  by  turns  made  the  deepest  wounds  in  his 
soul.  Wherefore,  unable  to  sustain  the  misery  of  those 
agonizing  reflections,  he  threw  down  the  wages  of  his 
iniquity  in  the  temple,  probably  in  the  treasury  before 
the  Levite  porters  and  others  who  happened  to  be  there,  ^ 
with  a  confession  of  his  sin  and  of  his  Master's  innocence, 
then  went  away  in  despair  and  hanged  himself.*  Thus 
perished  Judas  Iscariot  the  traitor,  a  miserable  example 
of  the  fatal  influence  of  covetousness,  and  a  standing  mo- 
jiument  of  the  Divine  vengeance.  The  thirty  pieces  of 
silver  which  Judas  threw  down  in  the  temple,  were  gather- 
ed  up  and  delivered  to   the  priests ;  for  they  consulted 


*  Hanged  himself.  Peter  seems  to  give  a  different  account  of  the  traitor's  death, 
Acts  i.  18.  "  Falling  headlong,  he  burst  asunder  in  the  midst,  and  all  his  bowels 
gushed  out."  To  reconcile  these  two  passages,  it  is  only  necessary  to  suppose 
tha*  Judas  hanged  himself  on  some  tree  growing  out  of  a  precipice  ;  and  that  the 
branch  breaking,  or  tiie  knot  of  the  handkerchief,  or  whatever  else  he  hanged 
himself  with,  opening,  befell  down  headlong,  and  dashed  himself  to  pieces,  so 
that  his  bowels  gushed  out. 


of  the  Hohj  Bible.  397 

among  themselves  aboiit  the  use  tliey  were  to  mal<e  of  the 
money,  and  at  length  agreed  to  buy  the  potter's  field  with 
it,  for  burying  str;ingers  in,  uho  happening  to  die  at  Je- 
rusalem had  no  burial  place  oi'  their  own.  "  Then  was 
llilliUed  that  m hich  was  spoken  by  Jeremy*  the  prophet, 
saying.  And  they  took  the  thirty  pieces  of  silver,  the 
price  of  him  that  was  valued,  whom  they  of  the  children  of 
Israel  did  value  :  and  gave  them  for  the  potter's  field,  as 
the  Lord  appointed  me."  The  historian's  mcntio'ing 
the  purchasing  of  the  potter's  field  with  the  money  for 
w hich  Judas  betra}ed  his  Master,  being  a  public  appeal  to 
a  ver}'  public  transaction,  puts  the  truth  of  this  part  of  the 
history  beyond  all  manner  of  exception. 

Jesus  being  carried  into  the  palace,  and  the  priests 
with  the  multitude  having  taken  their  places  round  the  tri- 
bunal, the  governor  came  out,  and  said,  "  What  accusa- 
tion bring  ye  against  this  man?"  John  xviii.  29.  They 
ansAvered,  haughtily,  and  said  unto  him,  "If  he  were  not 
a  malefactor,  we  would  not  have  delivered  him  unto  thee." 
Then  said  Pilate  unto  them,  "  Take  ye  him  and  judge 
him  according  to  your  law."  But  the  priests  peremptorily 
refused  this  proposal,  because  it  condemned  the  whole  of 
their  procedure,  and  told  him  that  it  was  not  lawful  for 
them  to  put  any  man  to  death  ;  by  which  they  insinuated 
that  the  prisoner  was  guilty  of  a  capital  crime,  that  he  de- 
served the  highest  punishment,  and  that  none  but  the  go- 
vernor himself  could  y(\\^  iuds:ment  in  the  cause.  "  The 
Jews,  therefore,  said  unto  him,  It  is  not  lawful  for  us  to 
put  any  man  to  death.''  The  evangelist  observes,  that  the 
Jews  were  directed  thus  to  speak  and  act,  that  theie  might 
be  an  accomplishment  of  the  divine  counsels  concerning 
tlie  manner  of  our  Loid's  death  ;  of  which  counsels  Je- 
sus himself  had  gi\en  frccjuent  intimations  in  the  course  of 
his   ministry.     "  Th^i    the  saying  of  Jesus  might  be  ful- 


•  yereiny.  How  this  transaction  comes  to  be  connected  with  a  prophecy  spo- 
ken by  yacmiaht  is  not  easily  accounted  for,  as  the  prophecy  cited  is  found  in  the 
writings  of  Zechariah  only.  The  Syriac  version  indeed  has  only,  "  which  was 
spoken  by  the  prophet. ^^  If  this  be  the  genuine  reading,  it  proves  that  the  name  ^^e- 
rtmiab  was  inserted  bv  some  officious  transcriber. 


398  ^  'Complete  History 

filled  which  he  spake,  signifying  what  death  he  should 
die."  Thus  was  the  governor's  first  attempt  to  save  Jesus 
fi-ustrated. 

Pilate  being  obliged  to  proceed  to  the  trial,  the  Jews 
began  and  accused  Jesus  of  seditious  practices,  affirming 
that  he  had  used  every  method  to  dissuade  the  people 
fiom  paying  taxes  to  Csesar,  whose  revenue,  Pilate  was 
particularly  bound  to  take  care  of;  also  that  he  had  af- 
iected  regal  power,  under  pretence  of  being  their  Mes- 
siah, in  open  contempt  of  the  Emperor's  majesty,  and  of 
his  governor's  authority.  But  though  they  spake  as  if 
they  had  tried  him  upon  those  articles  and  convicted  him, 
it  was  altogether  false  ;  neither  offered  they  any  proof  in 
support  of  what  they  alleged.  "  Then  Pilate  entered 
into  the  judgment-hall  again,  and  called  Jesus,  and  asked 
him»  saying.  Art  thou  the  king  of  the  Jews  ?  And  Jesus 
said  unto  him,  Thou  sayest ;"  that  is,  according  to  the 
Hebrew  idiom,  "  It  is  as  thou  sayest.'*  St.  John  tells  us 
that  our  Lord  added,  Dost  thou  ask  this  question  of  thine 
own  accord,  because  thou  thinkest  that  1  have  affected 
regal  power ;  or  dost  thou  ask  it  according  to  the  infor- 
mation of  the  priests,  who  affirm  that  I  have  acknow- 
ledged myself  to  be  a  king?  "  Jesus  answered  him,  Say- 
est thou  this  thing  of  thyself,  or  did  otliers  tell  it  thee  of 
me?*"  Pilate  answered,  *' Am  I  a  Jew?  Dost  thou 
think  that  1  am  acquainted  with  the  religious  opinions 
and  disputes  of  the  Jews?  Thine  own  nation,  and  the 
chief  priests  have  delivered  thee  unto  me,  as  a  seditious 
person,  one  that  assumes  the  title  of  king:  what  hast  thou 
done  to  merit  the  charge  of  sedition  ?"  Jesus  answered, 
"  Though  I  have  acknowledged  to  you  that  I  am  a 
king,  I  am  no  raiser  of  sedition,  for  my  kingdom  is  not 
of  this  world  :  if  my  kingdom  were  of  this  world,  then 
would  my  servants  fight,  that  I  should  not  be  delivered 
to  the  Jews :  1  would  have  endeavoured  to  establish  my- 
self on  the  tljrone  by  force  of  arms."  But  as  I  have  done 
neither,  it  is  evident,  therefore,  that  the  kingdom  which  I 
claim   is  not   of  this  world.     Pilate  therefore  said  unto 


*  Me.     John  xviii.  34,  &c.  - 


of  the  Holy  Bible,  :^99 

him,  "  Art  thou  a  king,  notwithstanding  thy  kinffdom  is 
not  of  this  world  ?"  Jesus  answered,  "  I  came  into  the 
world  for  this  end,  that  by  explaining  and  proving  the 
truth,  I  might  impress  it  upon  men's  consciences,  and 
make  them  obedient  to  its  laws.  In  this  consisteth  my 
kingdom,  and  all  the  lovers  of  truth  obey  me,  and  are 
my  subjects."  This  is  what  Paul  calls  "  the  good  confes- 
sion," which  he  tells  Timothy,  Jesus  witnessed  before 
Pontius  Pilate.*  And  justly  does  the  Apostle  term  it  so. 
For  our  Lord  did  not  deny  the  truth  to  save  his  own  life, 
but  gave  all  his  followers  an  example  highly  worthy  of 
their  imitation.  It  is  remarkable  that  Christ's  assuming 
the  title  of  king  did  not  oftc-nd  the  governor  in  the  least, 
though  it  was  the  principal  crime  laid  to  his  charge.  Pro- 
bably the  account  he  gave  of  his  kingdom  and  subjects, 
led  Pilate  to  take  him  for  some  stoic  philosopher,  who 
pleased  himself  with  the  chimerical  royalty  attributed  by 
his  sect  to  the  sapiens  or  wise  man.f  Supposing,  there- 
fore, that  Jesus  was  a  disciple  of  Zeno,  when  Pilate 
heard  him  speak  of  truth,  and  affirm  that  his  kingship 
consisted  in  bearing  witness  to  truth,  and  that  eveiy  one 
that  loved  truth  was  his  subject,  he  might  think  that  he 
was  claiming  the  prerogative  of  the  sapiens,  though  in 
terms  somewhat  new.  Accordingly  he  desired  him  to 
explain  what  he  meant  by  truth?  then  going  out  to  the 
multitude,  he  told  them  that  he  found  no  fault  in  Jesus, 
no  opinion  inconsistent  with  the  good  of  society,  neither 
any  action  nor  pretension  that  was  criminal  in  the  least 
degree. 

The  priests,  it  seems,  were  not  disconcerted  by  the 
public  declaration  which  the  governor,  in  obedience  to 
conscience  and  truth,  made  of  the  prisoner's  innocence  ; 
for  they  persisted  in  their  accusations  with  more  vehe- 
mence than  before,  affirming  that  he  had  attempted  to 
raise  a  sedition  in  Galilee.  They  artfully  mentioned  Ga- 
lilee to  inflame  Pilate,  who  they  knew  was  prejudiced 
against  the  people  of  that  country.     To  this  heavy  charge 


*  Pwitius Pilate.     1  Tim.  vi.  13. 

t  Wise  man.    See  Hor.lib.  i.  sat.  ofine. 


400  J  Complete  History 

Jesus  made  no  answer  at  all.  Nay,  he  contliiued  mute';= 
notwithstanding  the  governor  expressly  required  him  to 
speak  in  his  own  defence.  A  conduct  so  extraordinary, 
in  such  circumstances,  astonished  Pilate  exceedingly,;  for 
he  had  good  reason  to  be  persuaded  of  Christ's  inno- 
cence. The  truth  is,  he  was  altogether  ignorant  of  the 
divine  counsel  \)y  which  the  whole  affair  was  directed. 
As  for  Jesus,  he  might  justly  decline  making  public  de- 
fences, not  from  a  consciousness  of  guilt,  but  lest  the 
common  people,  moved  by  what  he  must  have  said, 
should  have  asked  his  release,  and  prevented  his  death ; 
in  which  respect  he  hath  shewed  his  followers  a  noble  ex- 
ample of  courage.  Besides  the  gross  falsehood  of  the 
accusation,  known  to  the  chief  priests  themselves,  and  to 
all  the  inhabitants  of  Galilee,  rendered  any  reply  need- 
less. In  the  mean  time,  because  the  priests  spake  of  a 
sedition  in  Galilee,  Pilate  asked  if  the  prisoner  came  out 
''  of  that  country  ?  and  beiug  informed  that  he  did,  he 
ordered  him  to  be  carried  away  immediately  to  Herod, 
who  was  then  in  Jerusalem.*  Pilate  supposed  that  the 
prince  in  whose  dominions  the  sedition  was  said  to  have 
been  raised,  could  be  a  better  judge  of  the  affair  than  he. 
Moreover,  as  Herod  was  a  Jew,  expert  in  the  religion  and 
customs  of  his  country,  the  governor  imagined  that  he 
might  have  had  influence  ^vith  the  priests  to  desist.  Or 
if,  at  their  solicitation,  he  should  condemn  Jesus,  Pilate 
thought  to  escape  the  guilt  and  infamy  of  putting  an  in- 
nocent person  to  death.  He  might  also  propose  to  re- 
gain Herod's  friendship,  formerly  lost  perhaps  by  en- 
croaching on  his  privileges.  But  whatever  was  his  mo- 
tive, the  king,  who  had  of  a  long  time  desired  to  see  Je- 
sus, rejoiced  at  this  opportunit)'  ;  for  he  hoped  to  have 
had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  him  work  some  miracle  or 
other.  Nevertheless,  Jesus  did  not  think  proper  thus  to 
gratify  the  curiosity  of  a  tyrant,  nor  so  much  as  answer 
one  of  his  questions,  d*ough  he  proposed  many  to  !i!m. 
Herod  fniding  himself  thus  disa})pointed,  ordered  Chiist 
to  be  clothed  \\\i\\  an  old   robe,    in    colour   like   those 


yerusalsni.     Luke  xxiil.  6,  7- 


N 


of  the  Holy  Bible.  .  401 

which  kings  used  to  wear,  and  permitted  his  attendants 
to  insult  him,  perhaps  with  an  intention  to  provoke  him 
to  work  a  miracle,  thout^h  it  should  have  been  of  a  hurt- 
ful kind.  Our  Lord's  being  dressed  in  this  manner  by 
Herod's  order,  shews  that  here  the  priests  had  accused 
him  of  nothing  but  of  having  assumed  the  titles  and  ho- 
nours belonging  to  Messiah;  for  the  affront  put  upon 
him  was  plainly  in  derision  of  that  pretension.  The 
other  head  of  accusation,  his  having  attempted  to  raise 
a  sedition  in  Gallilee  on  account  of  the  tribute,  they 
durst  not  touch  upon,  because  Herod  could  not  fail  to 
know  the  gross  falsehood  of  it.  No  crime  being  laid  to 
his  charge,  the  king  sent  him  back  to  Pilate  with  an  ac- 
count of  his  innocence.  Before  this  Herod  and  Pilate 
had  been  at  enmity  between  themselves.  Probably  the 
latter  had  encroached  upon  Herod's  jurisdiction,  by  giv- 
ing judgment  in  causes  which  concerned  his  subjects. 
Herod,  therefore,  looking  upon  the  sending  of  Jesus  to 
him  to  be  judged,  because  he  was  a  Galilean,  as  a  repa- 
ration for  former  offences,  was  forthwith  reconciled  to 
Pilate. 

At  former  passovers  the  governor  had  courted  the  fa- 
vour of  the  populace,  by  gratifying  them  with  the  par- 
don of  any  one  prisoner  they  pleased.  Wherefore,  when 
the  cro^^  d  was  gathered,  they  begged  him  to  do  as  he 
had  ever  done  to  them.  "  And  there  was  one  named 
Barabbas,  which  lay  bound  with  them  that  had  made  in- 
surrection with  him,  who  had  committed  murder  in  the 
insurrection.  And  the  multitude  crying  aloud,  began 
to  desire  him  to  do  as  he  had  ever  done  unto  them." 
Pilate,  glad  of  this  opportunity,  told  them  it  was  very 
true  that  he  had  used  to  do  so,  .aid  asked  them  whether 
they  would  have  Barabbas  or  Jesus  released.  But  with- 
out waiting  for  an  answer,  he  offered  to  release  Jesus, 
knowing  that  the  chief  priests  had  delivered  him  for  enVy ; 
a  sentiment  in  which  he  was  greatly  confirmed  by  Herod, 
who  had  not  found  him  guilty  of  the  things  whereof  the 
priests  had  accused  him. 

While  these  things  were  doing,  Pilate  received  a  mes- 
sage from  his  wife,  who  happened  to  be  with  him  in  Je- 
rusalem, and  who  had  had  a  dream  that  morning  about 

Vol.  H.  3  E 


402  J!  Complete  History 

Jesus,  that  gave  her  the  utmost  uneasiness.  Perhaps  it 
•presaged  the  vengeance  of  God  pursuing  her  husband 
and  ianiily,  on  aecount  of  the  injustice  he  was  going  to 
commit.  But  \vhatever  the  dream  was^  it  made  such  an 
impression  g^  this  Roman  lady,  that  she  could  not  be 
-easy  till  she  sent  an  account  of  it  to  her  husband,  uho 
was  sitting  on  the  tribunal  in  the  pavement,  and  begged 
liim  to  have  no  hand  in  the  death  of  the  righteous  per- 
son he  was  judging.  The  people  had  not  yet  said  whe- 
ther they  would  l>ave  Jesus  or  Bivrabbas  released  to  them. 
Therefore  when  Pilate  received  his  wife's  message,  he 
eJilled  the  chief  priests  aiKl  the  rulers  together,  and,  in 
the  hearing  of  the  multitude,  made  a  speech  to  them, 
wherein  he  gave  an  account  of  the  examination  which 
Jesus  had  undergone  at  his  tribunal,  and  at  Herod's,  and 
declared  that  in  both  courts  the  trial  had  turned  out  ho- 
nourably for  liis  character^  Wherefm-e  he  proposed  to 
them  that  he  should  be  the  object  of  tlie  people's  favour, 
Pilate  did  the  priests  the  bonoiir  of  desiring  to  know 
their  inclinations  in  particular,  perhaps  with  a  design  to 
soften  them.  But  he  expected  that  however  averse  they 
might  be  to  his  proposal,  it  would  have  been  acceptable 
to  the  populace,  not  doubting  but  they  would  embrace 
the  first  opportunity  of  declaring  in  his  favour.  Yet  he 
was  disappointed.  *'  But  the  chief  priests  and  elders  per- 
suaded the  multitude,  that  they  should  ask  Barabbas,  and 
destroy  Jesus,"  Matt,  xxvii.  20.  And  they  cried  out  all 
at  once,*  saying,  "  Away  with  this  man,  crucify  this 
fellow,  and  release   unto  us  Barabbas,"  Luke  xxiii.   18. 


*  Once,  &c.  John  says,  xviii.  4v>,  "  Then  they  cried  all  again,"  (^ttscmv)  say- 
ing, &c.  But  the  word  jrct/jv  does  not  imply,  that  the  people  had  refused  Jesus, 
and  asked  Barabbas  before  this.  The  proper  meaning  of  the  passage  is,  that  they 
cried  out  in  opposition  to  Pilate,  who  proposed  to  release  Jesus.  For  ^«?./v  signi- 
fies, not  only  refetitiofi,  hut  opposition  ;  contra,  e  dtverso :  thus.  Matt.  iv.  7,  "It 
is  written  again.  Thou  sha't  not  temi)t  the  Lord;"  that  is,  it  is  written  on  the 
other  hand,  in  opposition  to  the  text  which  the  tempter  had  perverted.  Uaxiv 
■iignities  also  addition.  Matt.  v.  33.  ttakiv  Jixas-aTs,  Moreover  ye  have  heard,  &g. 
Wherefore  the  proper  translation  of  John  xviii.  40,  is,  Then  cried  they  all  in  re- 
iurn,  saying,  &,c. 


"■^M**!!!**! 


of  the  Ihhj  Ulhle.  40-5 

Thus  the  Jewisli  rulers  demanded  the  release  of  Barabbas, 
a  notorious  villain,  who   had   really   been  guilty  of  sedi- 
tion, the  crime  whereof  they  falsely  accused  Jesus  ;   had 
made  an  insurrection  with  some  accomplices,  and  com- 
mitted murder  in  the  insurrection.     For   this   infamous 
creature  the  people  likewise  begged  life,  preferring  him 
to  the  Son  of  God,  who  had  made  it  his  whole  study    to 
do  them  good.     "  Pilate  therefore  willing  to  release  Je- 
sus, spake  again  to  them,"*"  saying,    "  Whether  of  th|^ 
twain   will  ye  that  I  release   unto  you?"  He  had  asked 
this  question  before,  and  repeated  it  now,  not  so  much 
for  his  own   information,    as  to  express   his   surprise   at 
their -choice.     They  said,  "  Barabbas."     Pilate  saith  unto 
them,   "  What  shall  I  do  then  with  Jesus,  which  is  called 
Christ  ?"  Is  it  possible  that  you  desire  me  to  crucify  him 
whom  so  many  of  you  have  acknowledged  as  your  Mes- 
siah ?  But  they  all  cried,  saying,  "  Crucify  him,  crucify 
him,"  Luke  xxiii.  21.     Then  Pilate  said  unto  tliem  the 
third  time,  ' '  Why,  what  evil  hath  he  done  ?  I  have  found 
no  cause  of  death  in  him  :    I  will  therefore  chastise  him 
and  let  him  go."     And  they  cried  out  the  niore  exceed- 
ingly, "  Crucify  him."     So  bent  were  they  to  have  him 
killed,  that  though  the  governor  urged  them  again  and 
again  to   desire  his  release,  declaring  his  innocence,  and 
offered  three  several  times  to  dismiss  him,  they  would 
not  hear  it,  uttering  their  rage  sometimes  in  hollow  in- 
articulate murmurs,  and  sometimes  in  furious  outcries  : 
to  such  a  pitch  were  their  passions  raised  by  the  craft  of 
the  priests.     Pilate,  therefore,  finding  it  in  vain  to  strug- 
gle with  them,  called  for  a  basin  of  water,  and  washed 
his  hands  before  the  multitude,  crying  out  at  the  same 
time,  that  the  prisoner  was  a  good  man,  and  that  he  was 
innocent*  of  his  blood.     Perhaps  Pilate  did  this  agreeably 
to  the  rites  of  heathenism,  which  prescribed  lustrations 
for    such  as    ignorantly   or   unwillingly   had  committed 
murder.     Or  rather,  as  he  intended  thereby  to  make  an 
impression  on  a  Jewish   mob,    he  did  it  in  compliance 
with  the  institutions  of  Moses,    which  by  this  time  he 


•  Tb^m,    JLukc  xsiij.  20. 


404  A  Complete  History 

could  not  be  altogether  ignorant  of.  It  would  appear 
tliat  he  thought  to  have  terrified  the  mob  ;  for  one  of  his 
understanding  and  education  could  not  but  be  sensible, 
that  all  the  water  in  the  universe  was  not  able  to  wash 
away  the  guilt  of  an  unrighteous  sentence.  Neverthe- 
less, solemn  as  his  declaration  was,  it  had  no  effect ;  for 
the  people  continued  inflexible,  crying  out  with  one 
consent,  that  they  were  willing  to  take  the  guilt  of  his 
*death  upon  themselves.  '*  His  blood  be  on  us  and  on 
our  children  :"*  an  imprecation  the  weight  of  which  lies 
heavy  on  the  nation  to  this  day!  'The  governor  finding 
by  the  sound  of  the  cry  that  it  was  general,  and  that  the 
people  were  fixed  in  their  choice,  passed  the  sentence 
they  desired.  "  And  the  voices  of  them  and  of  the  chief 
priests  prevailed.  And  Pilate  gave  sentence  that  it  should 
be  as  they  required.  And  so  Pilate  willing  to  content  the 
people,  released  Barabbas  unto  them."t 

The  Romans  usually  scourged  the  criminals  whom  they 
condemned  to  be  crucified.  |  This  was  the  reason  that 
Pilate  ordered  our  Lord  to  be  scourged,  before  he  deli- 
vered him  to  the  soldiers  to  be  crucified.  The  soldiers 
having  received  orders  to  crucify  Jesus,  carried  him  into 
the  prsetorium  after  they  had  scourged  him.  Here  they 
added  the  shame  of  disgrace  to  the  bitterness  of  his  pu- 
nishment ;  for,  sore  as  he  was  by  reason  of  the  stripes 
they  had  laid  on  him,  they  dressed  him  as  a  fool,  in  an 
old  purple  robe,  in  derision  of  his  being  king  of  the 
Jews.  Then  they  put  a  reed  into  his  hand  instead  of  a 
sceptre  ;  and  having  made  a  \yreath  of  thorns,  they  put  it 
on  his  head  for  a  crown,  forcing  it  down  in  such  a  rude 
manner,  that  his  temples  were  torn,  and  his  face  be- 
smeared with  blood.  To  the  Son  of  God,  in  this  condi- 
tion, the  rude  soldiers  bowed  the  knee,  pretending  re- 
spect, but  at  the  same  time  gave  him  severe  blows,  which 
drove  the  prickles  of  the  wreath  afresh  into  his  temples, 


*  Children.     Matt,  xxvii.  25. 

f  Them.    Mark  xv.  15.     Luke  xxni.  24,  85. 

-\-€ntcified.      See  Jos.  Bell.  ii.  25.     Lucian,Revivisc.  p.  385,   and  Eisner 
in'Joc. 


of  the  Holy  Bible.  405 

then  spit  upon  him,  to  express  the  highest  contempt  of 
him.  They  smote  liim,  some  witli  the  reed,  and  others 
M'ith  tlieir  himds.  Those  who  smote  him  with  the  reed, 
laid  the  blows  upon  the  thorns  with  which  his  head  was 
crowned ;  those  who  smote  him  with  their  hands  aimed 
at  his  cheeks,  or  some  part  of  his  body.  The  governor, 
who  according  to  custom  was  present  all  the  while,  found 
his  heart  ready  to  burst  with  grief.  The  sight  of  an  in- 
nocent and  virtuous  man  treated  with  such  barbarity, 
raised  in  him  the  most  painful  feelings  of  pity.  And 
though  he  had  given  sentence  that  it  should  be  as  the 
Jews  desired,  and  had  delivered  Jesus  to  the  soldiers  to 
be  crucified,  he  thought  if  he  was  shewed  to  the  people 
in  that  condition,  they  might  yet  relent  and  let  him  go. 
With  this  view,  therefore,  he  resolved  to  carry  him  out, 
a  spectacle  which  might  ha\e  softened  the  most  enve- 
nomed, obdurate,  enraged  enemies.  And  that  the  im- 
pression might  be  the  stronger,  he  went  out  himself  and 
spake  to  them,  "  Pilate  therefore  went  forth  again,  and 
saith  unto  them.  Behold  I  bring  him  forth  to  you,  that 
ye  may  know  that  I  find  no  fault  in  him.*'*  Though  T 
have  sentenced  him  to  die,  and  have  scourged  him  as  one 
that  is  to  be  crucified,  1  bring  him  forth  to  you  this 
once,  that  I  may  testify  to  you  again,  how  fully  I  am 
persuaded  of  his  innocence  ;  and  that  ye  may  yet  have  an 
opportunity  to  save  his  life.  Upon  this  Jesus  appeared 
on  the  pavement,  having  his  flice,  hair,  and  shoulders 
all  clotted  with  blood.  But  that  the  sight  of  Jesus  in  this 
distress  might  make  the  greater  impression  on  the  multi- 
tude, Pilate,  while  he  was  coming  forward,  cried,  "  Be- 
hold the  man  !"  As  if  he  had  said.  Will  nothing  make  you 
relent?  have  you  no  bowels,  no  feelings  of  pity?  can  you 
bear  to  see  the  innocent  thus  injured  ?  But  all  was  to  no 
purpose.  The  priests  whose  rage  and  malice  had  extin- 
guished not  only  the  sentiments  of  justice  and  feelings  of 
pity  natural  to  the  human  heart,  but  that  love  which  coun- 
trvmen  bear  to  one  another,  no  sooner  saw  Jesus  than 


•  Him.    John  xLk.  4. 


406  ji  Complete  History 

they  l^egan  to  fear  the  fickle  populace  might  relent.  And 
therefore,  laying  decency  aside,  they  led  the  way  to  the 
mob,  crying  out  with  all  their  might,  "Crucify  him! 
crucify  him  !" 

-  The  governor  having  now  laid  aside  all  thoughts  of 
saving  Jesus,  gave  him  up  to  the  will  of  his  enemies,  and 
commanded  the  soldiers  to  prepare  for  his  execution. 
The  soldiers  obeyed,  and  led  Jesus  away,  after  they  had 
clothed  him  in  his  own  garments.  It  is  not  said  that  they 
took  the  crown  of  thorns  off  his  head.  Probably  he 
died  wearing  it,  that  the  title  which  was  written  over  him 
might  be  the  better  understood.  According  to  custom, 
Jesus  walked  to  the  place  of  execution  bearing  his  cross, 
that  is,  the  transverse  beam  to  which  he  was  to  be  nailed ; 
the  other  being  at  the  place  already.  But  the  fatigue  of 
the  preceding  night  spent  without  sleep,  the  sufl'erings 
he  bad  undergone  in  the  garden,  his  having  been  hurried 
from  place  to  place,  and  obliged  to  stand  the  whole  time 
of  his  trials,  the  want  of  food  and  loss  of  blood  which 
he  had  sustained,  and  not  his  want  of  courage  on  this  oc- 
casion, concurred  to  make  him  so  faint  that  he  was  not 
long  able  to  bear  his  cross.  The  soldiers  therefore  laid  it 
on  one  Simon,  a  native  of  Cyrene  in  Egypt,  the  father 
of  Alexander  and  Rufus,  two  noted  men  among  the  first 
Christians  at  the  time  Mark  wrote  his  gospel,  and  forced 
him  to  bear  it  after  Jesus.  They  did  this,  however,  not 
out  of  compassion  to  Jesus,  but  for  fear  he  should  die 
with  fatigue,  and  by  that  means  elude  his  punishment. 

As  Jesus  went  along,  he  was  followed  by  a  great  crowd, 
particularly  of  women,  who  sighed,  shed  tears,  and  bit- 
terly lamented  the  severity  of  his  lot.  '  Jesus,  who  ever 
felt  the  woes  of  others  more  than  he  did  his  own,  forget- 
ting his  distress  at  the  very  time  that  it  lay  heaviest  upon 
liim,  turned  about,  and  with  a  benevolence  and  tender- 
ness truly  divine,  said  to  them,  '*  Daughters  of  Jerusalem, 
•weep  not  for  me ;  but  weep  lor  yourselves,  and  for  your 
children.  For  behold  the  days  are  coming,  in  the  which 
they  shall  say,  Blessed  are  the  barren,  and  the  wombs  that 
never  bare^  and  the  paps  which  never  gave  suck.  Then 
shall  they  begin  to  say  to  tl"ie  mountains,  Fall  on  us ;  and 


of  the  Ilohj  Bible.  407 

to  the  hills,  Cover  us  :"*  The  calamities  about  to  fall  on 
voii  and  your  children  are  most  terrible,  and  call  for  the 
bitterest  lamentations ;  for  in  those  days  of  vengeance,  you 
uill  veliemently  wisli  that  you  had  not  given  birth  to  a  gen- 
eration, whose  wickedness  has  rendered  them  objects  of  the 
divine  wrath,  to  a  degree  that  never  was  experienced  in  the 
world  before.  The  thoughts  of  those  calamities  afflict  my 
soul  tar  more  than  the  feeling  of  my  own  sufferings.  *'  For 
if  ihey  do  these  things  in  a  green  tree,  what  sliall  be  done 
in  the  dry  ?" — If  the  Romans  are  permitted  by  heaven  to 
inflict  such  heavy  punishments  on  me  who  am  innocent, 
how  dreadful  must  the  vengeance  be  which  they  shall  in- 
flict on  the  nation,  uhose  sins  cry  aloud  to  heaven,  hasten- 
ing the  pace  of  the  divine  judgments,  and  rendering  the 
perpetrators  as  fit  for  punishment  as  dry  wood  is  for 
burning. 

'*  And  there  were  also  two  other  malefactors,"  or  ra- 
ther, "  two  others  who  were  malefactors,  led  with 
him  to  be  put  to  death.  And  he  bearing  his  cnjss,  went 
forth  to  a  place,  called  the  place  of  a  scull,  which  is  called 
in  the  Hebrew  Golgotha.  "|  The  place  of  execution 
was  called  Golgotha,  or  the  place  of  a  scull,  from  the 
criminals'  bones  which  lay  scattered  there.  Here  some  of 
Christ's  friends  offered  him  a  stupifying  potion,  to  ren- 
der him  insensible  of  the  ignominy  and  pain  of  his  pu- 
nishment. But  he  refused  it,  because  he  would  bear  his ' 
sufferings,  however  sharp,  not  by  intoxicating  and  stu- 
pifying himself,  but  through  the  strength  of  pjtienee, 
fortitude,  and  faith.  "  And  \^hen  they  were  come  unto 
a  place  called  Golgotha,  that  is  to  say,  a  place  of  a  scull, 
they  gave  him   vinegar  %    to   drink,   mingled  with   gall. 


•  Us.     Luke  xxiii.  17,  &.c.  f  Golgotha.     John  xix.  17. 

\  Vinegar,  Sec.  Mark  says,  "  Tliey  gave  him  to  drink  wine  mingled  with 
myrrh,"  fs-wu^wj-^cvoy  o/vsv.  But  the  two  Evangelists  speak  of  the  same  ingredients. 
For  though  Mark  terms  that  viine  which  Matthew  calls  'oinegar,  he  may  really 
have  meant  •vinegar,  which  was  a  common  drink  amon^  the  ancients,  and  such  as 
might  very  properly  be  called  isine,  in  regard  it  was  usually  made  of  wine,  or  of  .the 
juice  of  grapes.  Besides,  it  is  well  known  that  the  ancients  gave  the  general  name 
of  wine  to  all  fermented  liquors  whatsoever.     As  to  the  other  ingredient  of  this 


408  -  A  Complete  Histoi-y 

(Mark  xv.  23,  they  gave  him  to  drink  wine  mingled  with 
myrrh:)  and  when  he  had  tasted  thereof,  he  would  not 
drink,"  (Mark  says  he  received  it  not.)  When  Jesus  re- 
fused the  potion,  the  soldiers,  according  to  custom, 
stripped  him  quite  naked,  and  in  that  condition  began 
to  fasten  him  to  the  tree.  But  while  they  were  piercing 
his  hands  and  his  feet  with  the  nails,  instead  of  crying 
out  through  the  accuteness  of  his  pain,  he  calmly  though 
fervently  prayed  for  them,  and  for  all  who  had  any  hand  in 
his  death,  beseeching  God  to  forgive  them,  and  excusing 
them  by  the  only  circumstance  that  could  alleviate  their 
guilt — their  ignorance.  "  And  when  they  were  come  to 
the  place  which  is  called  Calvary,  there  they  crucified  him, 
that  is,  nailed  him  to  his  cross  ;  and  the  malefactors,  one 
on  the  right  hand,  and  the  other  on  the  left."  Then  said 
Jesus,  "  Father,  forgive  them  ;  for  they  know  not  what 
they  do."  This  was  infinite  meekness  and  goodness, 
truly  worthy  of  God's  only  begotten  Son  ;  an  example  of 
forgiveness,  which  though  it  never  can  be  equalled  by  any, 
is  fit  to  be  imitated  by  all.  Dr.  Heylin*  has  well  de- 
scribed our  Lord's  passion  as  follows  :  "  The  appointed 
soldiers  dig  the  hole  in  which  the  cross  ^vas  to  be  erected. 
The  nails,  and  the  hammer  are  read}^  The  cross  is 
placed  on  the  ground,  and  Jesus  lies  down  upon  the  bed 
of  sorrows.  They  nail  him  to  it.  They  erect  it.  His 
nerves  crack.  His  blood  distills.  He  hangs  upon  his 
wounds,  naked,  "  a  spectacle  to  heaven  and  earth." 
Thus  was  the  only  begotten  Son  of  God,  who  came  down 
to   save   the    world,    crucified    by  his   own    creatures,  j- 


potion,  mentioned  by  the  sacred  historians,  let  it  he  observed,  that  the  word  yo.u  in 
the  LXX.  is  often  used  as  the  translation  of  the  Hebrew  word  ^yp  which  properly 
was  the  name  of  a  poisonous  herb,  common  in  those  countries,  and  remarkable 
for  its  bitterness.  Hence  an  infusion  of  it  is  called  uSoig  ttikbo)/,  bitter  ivater,  .Jer. 
xxiii.  15,  and  u/o'g  X'^''^^  J^*"'  '^''''  ^^'  ''^'  ^'^'  Pi"ot)ably  it  was  a  weak  infusion  of 
this  herb  in  vinegar  and  water,  which  our  Lord's  friends  offered  him,  to  make  him 
insensible,  and  shorten  his  life. 

*  Dr.  Heylin.     Theolog.  Lect.  p.  103,  at  the  end  of  the  vol. 

■\  Creatures.  The  ignominy  of  his  punishment  may  be  learned  from  a  heathen  : 
Cic.  pro  Rabir.  "  Misera  est  ignomlnia  judiciorumpublicorum,  misera  multatio 
bonorum,  miserum  exiliiim ;  sed  tamen  in  omni  calamitate  retinetur  aliquod  vcsti- 


of  the  Holy  Bible.  409 

"  Hear,  O  heavens !  O  cartli,  cartli,  earth,  licar  !  The 
Lord  liath  nourished  and  brought  up  children,  and  they 
have  rebelled  against  him." 

As  usual,  the  governor  put  up  a  title  or  writing  on 
the  cross,  signifying  the  crime  for  which  Jesus  was  con- 
demi^ed.  This  writing  was  in  black  characters,  on  a 
whitened  board,  and  in  the  Hebrew,  Greek,  and  Latin 
languages,  that  foreigners  as  well  as  natives  might  be 
able  to  read  it:  JESUS  OF  NAZARETH,  THE  KING 
OF  THE  JEWS.  \Vhen  the  priests  read  this  title, 
they  ^^■ere  exceedingly  displeased  :  because,  as  it  repre- 
sented the  crime  for  which  Jesus  Mas  condemned,  it  insi- 
nuated that  he  had  been  acknowledged  for  the  Messiah. 
The  priests  thought  themselves  highly  affronted,  and 
came  to  Pilate  in  great  concern,  begging  that  the  writing 
might  be  altered.  But  he  would  not  hear  them,  having 
intended  the  affront,  because  they  had  constrained  him 
to  crucify  Jesus,  contrary  both  to  his  judgment  and  in- 
clination. When  the  soldiers  had  crucified  Jesus,  that 
is,  erected  his  cross,  they  divided  his  garments,  and  cast 
lots  for  the  shares.  His  coat  was  excepted  out  of  this  di- 
vision, because  being  without  a  seam,  they  agreed  to 
cast  lots  for  it  by  itself.  The  Evangelists  observe,  that  all 
this  was  done  agreeably  to  an  ancient  prophecy,  wherein 
these  circumstances  of  the  Messiah's  sufferings  were  men- 
tioned, to  shew  that  he  was  to  be  crucified  naked,  and 
consequently,  that  he  was  to  suffer  a  most  ignominious, 
as  well  as  a  most  painful  death.  "  Then  the  soldiers,  when 
they  had  crucified  Jesus,  took  his  garments  (and  made 
four  parts,  to  every  soldier  a  part)  and  also  his  coat  : 
now  the  coat  was  without  seam,    woven    from   the   top 


gium  libertatis ;  mors  denique  si  proponitur,  in  libertate  moriamur.  Carnifex  vero, 
€t  obductio  capitis,  et  nomen  ipsum  crucis,  absit  non  n\odo  a  corpora  civium  Ro- 
manorum,  sedetiam  a  cogitatione,  occulis,  auribus.  Harum  enim  omnium  reruin 
non  solum  eventus  atque  perpessio,  sed  etiam  conditio,  expectatio,  mentio  denique 
indigna  cive  Romano,  atque  homine  libero  est."  In  Verrem,  lib.  5.  "  Facinus 
est  vincire  civem  Romanum,  scelus  vcrberare,  prope  parricidium  necare.  Qiiid 
dicam  in  crucem  tollere  ?  crudelissimum  teterrimumque  suppliciflm  :  verbo  satis 
digno  tarn  nefaria  res  appellari  nullomodo  potest," 

Vol.  IL  3  F 


410  A  Complete  History 

fhroii^^liout.  They  said  therefore  among  themselves,  Let 
lis  not  rend  it,  but  cast  lots  for  it,  whose  it  shall  be  :  that 
the  scripture  might  be  fulfilled,  which  sailh.  They  parted 
iny  raiment  among  them,  and  for  my  vesture  they  did 
cast  lots.  These  things  therefore  the  soldiers  did,"  Mark 
XV.  25.     "  x\nd  it  was  the  third   hour,*  and  thev  cruci- 


*  Third  hour.  The  third  Jewish  hour  ended  at  our  nine  o'cloci^  in  the  morning. 
By  Mark's  account,  therefore,  the  crucifixion  and  the  lots  may  have  been  finish- 
ed at  the  striking  of  eight,  when  the  third  Jewish  hour,  answering  to  cur  ninth, 
began.  This  indeed  seems  inconsistent  with  John  xix.  13,  who  tells  us,  that 
when  Pilate  sat  on  the  judgment  seat  m  the  pavement,  and  brought  Jesus  out  to 
the  people  the  last  time,  itiaas  about  the  sixth  hour,  the  sixth  Roman  hour,  the 
same  with  our  six  o'clock  in  the  morning.  But  to  reconcile  these  seemingly  oppo- 
site accounts,  the  following  series  of  transactions  should  be  considered.  After  the 
governor  brought  Jesus  out,  he  spake  both  to  the  people  and  to  the  priests,  before 
he  finally  condemned  him.  And  though  each  speech  is  discussed  by  the  evangelist 
m  a  single  sentence,  they  may  have  been  drawn  out  to  some  length,  that,  if  pos- 
sible, an  impression  might  thereby  be  made  on  the  people.  When  Jesus  was  de- 
livered to  the  soldiers,  they  had  to  strip  him  of  the  purple  robe,  and  to  clothe  him 
m  his  own  garments  ;  the  thieves  were  to  be  brought  out  of  prison  :  the  necessary 
preparations  for  the  crucifixion  of  the  three  were  to  be  made  ;  in  particular,  cross- 
es were  to  be  provided  ;  the  crimes  laid  to  the  charge  of  the  prisoners  were  to  be 
written  on  whitened  boards  with  black  characters;  vinegar  with  a  spunge  and. 
a  reed  was  to  be  got  for  refreshing  the  criminals,  and  keeping  them  from  fainting, 
tinder  their  punishment ;  soldiers  were  to  be  appointed  for  watching  the  cross  ;  and 
these  had  to  provide  themselves  victuals,  because  persons  sometimes  lived  on  their 
crosses  several  days.  In  travelling  from  the  prxtorium,  which  may  have  been  sit- 
uated inthat  quarter  of  the  town  which  was  farthest  from  the  place  of  execution, 
they  could  move  bnt  slowly,  because  Jesus  being  very  much  fatigued,  must  have 
borne  liis  cross  with  difficulty.  When  he  grew  faint  it  would  be  some  time  before 
they  could  find  one  to  assist  him  in  bearing  it.  And  being  come  to  the  place  orf 
execution,  they  had  the  crosses  to  make  ready,  by  fixing  the  transverse  beams  on 
their  proper  stalks,  the  })risoners  were  to  be  stripped  and  nailed,  the  titles  vi'ereto 
be  affixed,  the  holes  for  the  crosses  to  be  dug,  the  crosses  themselves  were  to  be 
erected  and  fixed,  and,  last  of  all,  the  prisoners'  clothes  were  to  be  divided  by  lot. 
These,  with  other  circumstances  unknown  to  us,  accompanying  executions  of  this 
kind,  maybe  supposed  to  have  filled  up  the  whole  space  between  six  in  the  morn- 
ing, when  the  governor  shewed  Jesus  the  last  time,  and  the  third  Jewish  hour, 
when  Jesus  was  crucified  ;  that  is  to  say,  a  space  less  than  two  hours.  For  about 
the  sixth  hour,  the  expression  in  John,  may  signify  a  while  after  the  striking  of 
six,  when  the  sixth  hour  ends ;  and  the  third  hour,  tlie  expression  in  Mark,  an- 


of  the  Hull/  Bil>le.  4U 

ficd  liim:"  or  railicM-  "  it  was  the  third  ho'.ir,  when  they 
criieilled  him."  The  KvunereUbt  means  that  it  was  the 
third  Jewisli  lioiir  when  the  er(3ss  was  erected,  and  the 
clothes  divided  ;  for  he  had  mentioned  our  Lord's  l)cing 
nailed  to  the  cross  in^the  precedent  verse.  "  And  sitting 
down,  they  watched  him  there  :"  Matt,  xxvii.  38. 
**  Then,  were  there  two  tliieves  crucified  with  him:  one 
on  the  right  hand,  and  the  other  on  the  left."  They  pla- 
ced Jesus  m  the  middle,  by  way  of  mock,  honour,  because 
he  had  called  himself  a  kiiig,  and  was  now  crowned  with 
thorns.  Or  if  the  priests  had  any  hand  in  this,  they  might 
design  thereby  to  impress  the  spectators  the  more  strong- 
ly with  the  idea  of  his  being  cla  impostor,  and  to  make 
them  look  on  him  as  the  chief  malefactor.  "  And  the 
scripture  was  fulfilled  which  saith,  And  he  was  numbered 
with  the  transgressors."  In  giving  the  history  of  our 
Lord's  sufferings,  the  Evangelists  are  at  great  pains  to 
make  their  readers  sensible  that  all  the  circumstances  of 
them  were  fore-ordained  of  God.  Their  design  in  this 
was  to  prevent  the  offence  which  might  otherwise  have 
been  taken  at  Christ's  sufterinsrs. 

The  common  people,  whom  the  priests  had  incensed 
against  our  Lord,  by  the  m  ilicious  lies  which  they  spread 
concerning  him,  and  which  they  pretended  to  found  on 
the  evidence  of  the  witnesses,  seeing  him  hang  infamously 
on  the  cross,  and  reading  the  superscription  that  was 
placed  over  his  head,  expressed  their  indignation  against 
him  by  railing  on  him.  "  And  they  that  passed  by, 
railed  on  h.im,  wag-ging  their  heads,  and  saying.  Ah,  thou 
that  destroyest  the  temple,  and  bulkiest  it  in  three  days, 
Save  thyself,  and  come  down  from  the  cross."  The  ru- 
lers having,  as  they  imagined,  wholly  overturned  his 
pretensions  as  the  Messiah,  lidiculed  him  on  that  head, 
and  with  a  meanness  of  soul  which  many  infamous 
wretches  would  have  scorned,  mocked  him  while  in  the 
agonies  of  death.  "  And  the  people  stood  beholding  : 
and  the  rulers  also  wiih   them  derided  him,  saying,  He 


swering  to  the  ninth  Roman  hour,  may' signify  at  the  beginning  thereof,  or  at  the 
striking  of  eight,  -when  the  eighth  hour  ends,  and  the  ninth  begins. 


412  A  Complete  History 

saved  others  ;  himself  he  cannot  save  :  if  he  be  the  king 
of  Israel,  let  him   now  come  down  from  the  cross,  and 
we  will  believe  him."*     They  scoffed  at  the  miracles  by 
which  he   demonstrated   himself  the  Messiah,  and   pro- 
mised faith,  on  condition  he  would  prove  his  pretensions, 
bv  coming  down  from  the  cross.     In  the  mean  time,  no- 
thing could  be  more  false  and  hypocritical :  for  they  con- 
tinued  in   their    unbelief,    notwithstanding   Jesus   raised 
himself  from  the  dead,  which  was  a  much  greater  miracle 
than  his  coming  down  from  the  cross  would  have  been ; 
a  miracle  also  that   was  attested  by  witnesses  whose  vera- 
city they  could  not  call  in  question.     It  was  told  them  by 
the  soldiers,  whom  they  had  themselves  placed  at  the  se- 
pulchre to  watch  the  body.       It  is  plain,  therefore,  that 
the  priests  said  they  would  believe  if  Jesus  came  down, 
rot  because   their  incorrigible   stubbornness  would  have 
yielded  to  any  proof,    however  convincing,  but  to  insult 
Christ;  fancying  it  impossible  for  him  now  to  escape  out 
of  their  hands.      "  And  the  soldiers  also  mocked  him, 
coming  to  him,  and    offering  him  vinegar,  and  saying, 
If  thou    be  the  king  of  the  Jews,  save  thyself  "f     The 
insult  did  not  lie  in  their  offering  our  Lord  vinegar ;  for 
that  was  the  soldiers'  common  drink,  when  mixed  with 
water.     But  it   lay  in  what  they  said  to  liim  when  tliey 
offered  it;    which  shewed  that  they  did  him  the  office, 
not  out  of  compassion,  but   purely  with  a  view  to  keep 
him  alive,  that  they  might,  have  the  pleasure   of  seeing 
him  descend  from  the  cross  by  miracle.     "  The  thieves 
also  which  were  crucified  with  him,  cast  the  same  in  his 
teeth."!     Luke  says,    that  only   one   of  them   did    so.^ 


*  Him.    Mark  XV.  29.     Luke  xxiii.  35.     Matt.xxvii.  42. 

t  Thyself.     Luke  xxiii.  36,  37. 

I  Teeth.     John  xix.  19. 

§  So.  Some  commentators  endeavour  to  remove  this  difHculty,  by  supposing 
that  both  the  thieves  might  revile  Jesus  at  first.  But  this  solution  is  not  very  pro- 
bable. The  phrase  made  use  of  by  Matthew  and  Mark  is  an  hebraism  :  it  being 
common  in  .that  language  to  express  a  single  thing  in  the  plural  number,  especi- 
ally when  it  is  not  the  speaker's  or  writer's  intention  to   be   more  particuhir. 


.-*«■ 


of  the  Holy  Bible.  413 

The  otlier  exercised  a  most  extraordinary  faith  at  a  time 
Mhcn  our  Lord  was  deserted  by   God,  mocked  by  n>en, 
and  hanged   upon   a  cross,  as   the    worst    of  mulciactors. 
*'  And  one  of  the  malefactors,  which  were  hanged,  railed 
on  hwn,  saying,  If  thou  be  Christ,  save  thyself  and  us. 
But  the  other  answering,  rebuked  him,  saying.  Dost  thou 
not  fear  God,  seeing  thou  art  in  the  same  condemnation?" 
The  faith  of  the   penitent  thief  has  something  very   re- 
markable in  it.     For  not  to  mention  the  just  sentiments 
lie    had   conceived,  both  of    his   own    conduct,    and    of 
Christ's  character  :   "  And  we  indeed  justly;  for  we  re- 
ceive the  due  reward  of  our  deeds :   but   this  man  hath 
done   nothing  amiss:"  he   seems  to  have  entertained   a 
more  rational  and  exalted  notion  of  the  Messiah's  king- 
dom  than  the  disciples  themselves.     They  expected  no- 
thing but  a  secuh.r  empire ;  he  gave  strong   intimations 
of  his  having  an  idea  of  Christ's  spiritual  dominion  ;  for 
at  the  very  time  that  Jesus  was  dying  on  the  cross,  he 
begged  to  be  remembered   by   him  when  he  came  to  his 
kingdom."     "  And  he  said  unto  Jesus,  Lord,  remember 
me  when  thou  comest  into  thy  kingdom."      It  may  be 
said  indeed  that  the  thief  hoped  Jesus  would  exert  his 
miraculous  pqwer  in  delivering   himself  from  the  cross, 
and  setting  up  his  kingdom  immediately.     But  even  on 
this  supposition,  his  faith,  though  not  clearer  and   more 
extensive,  must  be  praised   as   stronger  than  that  of  the 
disciples,  who,  because  their  master  had  suflered  himself 
to  be  hanged  on  a  tree,  had  almost  universallv  despaired 
of  his  being  the  Messiah.     However,  the  thief's  acqui- 
escing in  the  answer  which  Jesus  made  to  his  request, 
"  Verily,    I  say  unto  thee.  To  day  shalt  ihou  be  with  me 
in  Paradise,"  must  be  acknowledged  a  presumption  in  fa- 
vour of  the  extensiveness  of  his  faith  also. 

During  the  last  three  hours  that  our  Lord  hanged   on 


Thus,  Judges  xii.  7,  "  Then  died  JephUia  the  Gileadite,  and  was  buried  in  the 
cities  of  Gilead;'.*  that  is,  in  one  of  the  cities  of  Gilead,  as  is  well  supplied  by  our 
translators.  Thus  also.  Matt.  xxi.  7,  "  And  brought  the  ass  and  the  colt^  and 
put  on  them  tlicir  clothes  :  and  they  set  him,  iTnvo!  stvim,  upon  them,''  that  is, 
upon  one  of  them.  The  phrase  in  Matthew  and  Mark,  supplied  after  the  same 
manner,  will  run  more  easily  thus  .  "  And  one  of  the  tliieves  reviled  him.'.' 


414  j4  Complete  History 

the  cross,  a  darkness  covered  the  face  of  the  earth,  to  the 
great  terror  and  amuzement  of  the  people  present  at  his 
execution.  This  extraordinary  alteration  in  the  face  of 
nature  was  pecuharl}^  proper,  whilst  the  sun  of  righteous- 
ness was  withdrawin;^:  his  beams  from  the  land  of  Israel, 
and  from  the  world,  not  only  because  it  was  a  miraculous 
testimony  borne  by  God  himself  to  his  innocence,  but 
also  because  it  was  a  fit  emblem  of  his  departure  and  its 
effects,  at  least  till  his  light  shone  out  anew  with  addi- 
tional splendor  in  the  ministry  of  his  apostles.  The  dark- 
ness which  now  covered  Judea,  together  with  the  neigh- 
bouring countries,  beginning  about  noon  and  continuing 
till  Jesus  expired,  was  not  the  effect  of  an  ordinary  eclipse 
of  the  sun  :  for  that  can  never  happen,  except  when  the 
moon  is  about  the  change  ;  whereas  now  it  was  full  moon  : 
not  to  mention  that  total  darknesses  occasioned  by  eclipses 
of  the  sun,  never  continue  above  twelve  or  fifteen  minutes. 
Wherefore  it  must  have  been  produced  by  the  Divine 
power,  in  a  manner  we  are  not  able  to  explain.*  Jesus 
was  now  in  the  depth  of  his  own  sufferings.  Yet  when 
he  saw  his  mother  and  her  companions,  their  grief  affect- 
ed him  to  a  great  degree  ;  particularly  the  distress  of  his 


*  Explain.  The  Christian  writers,  in  their  most  ancient  apologies  to  the  heath- 
ens, aiErm,  that  as  it  was  full  moon  at  the  passover  when  Christ  was  crucified,  no 
such  eclipse  could  happen  by  the  course  of  nature.  They  observe  also,  that  it 
was  taken  notice  of  as  a  prodigy  by  the  heathens  themselves.  To  this  purpose  we 
have  still  remaining  the  words  of  Phlegon  the  astronomer,  and  freed-man  of 
Adrian,  cited  by  Origen  from  his  book,  at  a  time  when  it  was  in  the  hands 
of  the  public :  Contr.  Celsum,  p.  83.  That  heathen  author,  in  treating  of  the 
fourth  year  of  the  two  hundred  and  second  Olympiad,  which  is  the  nineteenth  of 
Tiberius,  and  supposed  to  be  the  year  in  which  our  Lord  was  crucified,  tells  us, 
"  That  the  greatest  ecii])se  of  the  sun  that  ever  was  known  happened  then ;  for 
the  day  was  so  turned  into  night  that  the  stars  in  the  heavens  were  seen."  If 
Phlegon,  as  Christians  generally  suppose,  is  speaking  of  the  darkness  which  ac- 
companied our  Lord's  crucifi.xion,  it  was  not  circumscribed  within  the  land  of 
Judea,  but  must  have  been  universal.  This  many  learned  men  have  believed, 
particularly  Huet,  Grotius,  Gusset,  Reland,  and  Alphen.  Josephus,  it  is  true, 
takes  no  notice  of  this  wonderful  phenomenon.  But  the  reasou  may  be,  that  he 
was  unwilling  to  mention  ar.y  circumstance  favourable  to  cliristiarjty,  of  which  he 
was  no  frier.d. 


of  the  Holy  Bible.  415 

mother.  Wherefore,  though  he  was  almost  at  the  point 
of  death,  he  spake  a  few  words,  in  which  he  expressed 
the  most  affectionate  regard  both  to  her,  and  to  them. 
For  he  told  her,  the  disciple  whom  he  loved,  would  for 
the  sake  of  that  love,  suppl}^  his  place  to  her  after  he  was 
gone,  even  the  place  of  a  son  :  for  he  desired  her  to  con- 
sidt:r  him  as  such,  and  expect  from  him  all  the  duty  of  a 
son.  "  When  Jesus  therefore  saw  his  mother,  and  the 
disciple  standing  by,  whom  he  loved,  he  saith  unto  his 
mother,  W^oman,  behold  thy  son."  But  our  Lord,  be- 
sides expressing  great  filial  affection  towards  his  mother, 
gave  the  beloved  disciple  also  a  token  of  his  high  esteem. 
He  singled  him  out,  the  only  one  of  his  friends  whom  he 
could  trust,  as  fit  to  be  in  his  stead  to  his  mother.  Ac- 
cordingly he  desired  him  expressly  to  reverence  and  love 
her,  as  if  she  had  been  his  own  parent.  This  duty  the 
favourite  disciple  gladly  undertook  :  for  he  carried  her 
liome  with  him,  and  maintained  her  from  that  time  forth, 
her  husband  Joseph  it  seems  being  dead.  Thus,  in  the 
midst  of  the  heaviest  sufferings  that  ever  human  nature 
sustained,  Jesus  demonstrated  a  Divine  strength  of  bene- 
volence. P'ven  when  his  own  distress  was  at  the  hiehest 
pitch,  his  friends  had  such  a  share  of  his  concern,  that 
their  happiness  for  a  while  interrupted  the  sense  of  his 
pains,  and  whoU}^  ingrossed  his  thoughts. 

A  little  before  he  expired,  Jesus  repeated  the  first 
verse  of  the  twenty. second  Psalm.  "  And  about  the 
ninth  hour,"  answering  to  our  three  in  the  afiernoon. 
"  Jesus  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  saying,  Eli,  Eli,  lama 
sabachthani  ?  that  is  to  say.  My  God,  my  God,  why  hast 
thou  forsaken  me"?"  or  as  others  will  have  it  translated, 
*'  My  God,  my  God,  to  what  a  degree,  or  to  what  a 
length  of  time,  hast  thou  forsaken  me  1"  For  lama  in  the 
Hebrew  has  this  signification  :  "  Some  of  them  that  stood 
there,  when  they  heard  that,  said,  This  man  callcth  for 
Ehas."  And  though  they  misunderstood  him,  it  might 
have  arisen  from  their  not  hearing  him  distinctly.  "  And 
straightvvay  one  of  them  rail,  and  took  a  spunge,  and 
filled  it  \\\\h  vinegar,  and  put  it  on  a  reed,  and  gave  him 
to  drink."  St.  John  informs  us,  that  they  did  this  in  con- 
sequence of  our  Lord's  telling  them,  "  He  thirsted."    He 


416  A  Complete  History 

says  also,  that  they  put  the  spunge  upon  hyssop,  that  is, 
a  stalk  of  hyssop,  called  b}^  the  other  Evangelists  a  reed. 
Mark  observes,  that  the  person  who  gave  Jesus  the  vine- 
gar, said,  XV.  36,  "  Let  alone;  let  us  see  whether  Elias 
will  come  to  take  him  down."  But  Matthew  attributes 
that  saying  to  the  persons  who  stood  by.  It  seems  they 
repeated  the  words  of  him  who  administered  the  vine- 
gar, expressing  their  desire  likewise  that  Jesus  should  be 
kept  alive  as  long  as  possible,  to  see  if  Elias  would  come 
and  rescue  him.  "  When  Jesus  therefore  had  received 
the  vinegar,  he  said.  It  is  finished  ;"  John  xix.  30,  name- 
ly, the  work  of  man's  redemption,  to  accomplish  which  he 
had  come  into  the  world.  In  speaking  these  words,  he 
cried  with  an  exceeding  loud  voice,  probably  to  shew  that 
his  strength  was  not  exhausted,  but  that  he  was  about  to 
give  up  his  life  of  his  own  accord.  Having  thus  shouted, 
he  addressed  his  Father  with  a  tone  of  voice  such  as  is 
proper  in  prayer,  and  said,  "  Father,  into  thy  hands  I  com- 
mend my  spirit :  and  he  bowed  his  head,  and  gave  up  the 
ghost;"  leaving  us  the  best  pattern  of  a  commendatory 
prayer  in  the  article  of  death. 

While  Jesus  breathed  his  last,  the  vail  of  the  temple 
was  miraculously  rent  from  top  to  bottom,  probably  in 
presence  of  the  priest  A\'ho  burnt  the  incense  in  the  holy 
place  at  the  evening  sacrifice,  and  who,  no  doubt,  gave 
an  account  of  it  when  he  came  out ;  for  the  ninth  hour, 
at  which  Jesus  expired,  was  the  hour  of  the  evening  sa- 
crifice.  "  And  the  earth  did  quake,  and  the  rocks  rent. 
And  the  graves  in  the  rocks  were  opened,  and  man}^  bo- 
dies of  saints  which  slept,  arose,  and  came  out  of  the 
graves  after  his  resurrection,"  Matt  xxvii.  51,  52,  53. 
These  graves  were  opened  by  the  earthquake  at  his 
death ;  but  the  dead  in  them  did  not  come  to  life  till  his 
resurrection  :  "  and  went  into  the  holy  city,  and  appeared 
unto  many."  It  would  seem,  that  these  saints  were  dis- 
ciples, who  had  died  but  lately.  For  when  they  went  in- 
to the  city,  they  were  know  n  to  be  snints  by  the  persons 
wh.o  saw  them  ;  which  could  not  well  have  happened, 
liad  they  not  been  tbicir  contemporaries.  And  as  the 
rtnding  of  the  vail  of  the  tempie  intimated,  that  the 
entrance  into  the  holy   place,  the   type   of  heaven,  was 


of  the  Holy  Bible.  417 

now  laid  open  to  all  nations,  so  the  resurrection  of  a 
number  ol'  saints  from  the  dead  demonstrated,  that  the 
power  of  death  and  the  graxe  was  broken  :  the  sting  was 
taken  from  death,  and  the  victory  wrested  from  the  grave. 
In  short,  our  Lord's  conquests  over  the  enemies  of  man- 
kind  were  shewed  to  be  complete,  and  an  earnest  was 
given  of  a  general  resurrection  from  the  dead. 

"  And  when  the  Centurion  which  stood  over  against 
him,  saw  that  he  so  cried  out,  and  gave  up  the  ghost," 
Mark  XV.  39,  "  He  glorified  God,  by  saying.  Certainly 
this  was  a  righteous  man,"  Luke  xxiii,  47,  the  character 
which  Pilate's  lady  had  given  of  him  before  he  was  con- 
demned. According  to  ^Llrk  he  said  likewise,  "  Truly 
this  man  was  the  Son  of  God,"  or  Messiah.  "  And  all 
the  people  that  came  together  to  that  sight,  beholding 
the  things  which  were  done,  smote  their  breasts,  and  re- 
turned." The  people  who  came  to  behold  this  melan- 
choly spectacle,  were  wonderfully  affected  when  Jesus 
gave  up  the  ghost  They  had  been  instant  with  loud 
voices  to  have  him  crucified ;  but  now  that  they  saw  the 
face  of  the  creation  darkened  during  his  crucifixion,  and 
found  his  death  accompanied  with  an  earthquake,  as  if 
nature  had  been  in  an  agony  when  he  died,  they  rightly 
interpreted  these  prodigies  to  be  so  many  testimonies 
from  God  of  his  innocence ;  and  their  passions,  which 
had  been  inflamed  and  exasperated  against  him,  became 
quite  calm,  or  moved  them  in  his  behalf.  Some  could 
rot  forgive  themselves  for  neglecting  to  accept  his  life, 
when  the  governor  offered  to  release  him.  Others  were 
stung  with  remorse  for  having  had  an  active  hand  in  his 
death,  and  in  the  insults  that  were  oJHered  to  him. 
Others  felt  the  deepest  grief  at  the  thought  of  his  lot, 
which  was  undeservedly  severe.  And  these  various  pas- 
sions appeared  in  their  countenances.  For  they  came 
away  from  the  cruel  execution  pensive  and  silent,  with 
downcast  eyes,  and  hearts  ready  to  burst :  or  groaning 
deeply  within  themselves,  they  shed  tears,  smote  their 
breasts,  and  wailed  greatly.  Nor  was  this  the  temper 
only  of  a  few,  who  may  be  thought  to  have  been  Christ's 
particular  friends.  It  was  the  general  condition  of  the 
people,  who  had  coni€  in  yach  numbers  to  look  on,  that 

Vol.  II.  3  G 


418  ^  Complete  History 

when  they  parted  after  the  execution,  they  covered  the 
roads,  and  as  it  were  darkened  tlie  whole  fields  around. 
"  And  all  his  acquaintance,  and  the  women  that  followed 
him  from  Galilee,  stood  afar  off  beholding  these  things." 
Who  these  acquaintance  were,  Matthew  and  Mark  in- 
form us.  "  And  many  women  were  there  (beholding  afar 
off)  wliich  followed  Jesus  from  Galilee,  ministering  unto 
him.  Among  whom  were  Mary  Magdalene,  and  Mary 
the  mother  of  James  and  Joses,  and  the  mother  of  Zebe- 
dee's  children."  The  three  Evangelists  agree  in  affir- 
ming  that  these  women  stood  afar  off,  looking  on.  Yet 
this  is  not  inconsistent  with  John  xix.  25,  v/here  our 
Lord's  mother,  and  her  sister  Mary  the  wife  of  Cleophas, 
a;id  Mary  Magdalene,  are  said  to  have  stood  beside  the 
cross.  They  were  kept  at  a  distance  a  \\  hile,  perhaps  by 
the  guards ;  or  they  were  afraid  to  a]:^proach  :  But  vvheii 
the  greatest  part  of  the  soldiers  were  drawn  off,  and  the 
etlipse  was  begun,  they  gathered  courage,  and  came  so 
near,  that  Jesus  had  an  opportunity  to  speak  to  them  a  lit- 
tie  before  he  expired. 

The  law  expressl}^  prohibited  the  bodies  of  those  who 
were  hanged,  to  remain  all  night  on  a  tree,  Deut.  xxi. 
22.  For  that  reason,  as  well  as  because  the  sabbath  was 
at  hand,  the  Jews  begged  the  favour  of  Pilate,  that  the 
legs  of  the  three  crucified  persons  n"iight  be  broken  to 
hasten  their  death.  Pilate  consented,  and  gave  the  or- 
der they  dcijired.  But  the  soldiers  appointed  to  execute 
it,  perceiving  that  Jesus  was  dead  already,  did  not  take 
the  trouble  of  breaking  his  legs  ;  one  of  them  only  thrust 
a  spear  into  his  side.  The  spear  thrust  into  our  Lord's 
side  is  thought  to  have  reached  his  heart ;  for  the  water 
issuing  from  the  wound  seems  to  shew,  that  the  pericar- 
dium was  pierced,  and  that  Jesus  was  some  lime  dead. 
Or  though  he  had  not  been  dead,  diis  wound  was  of  sucb 
a  kind  as  must  have  killed  him  outright.  And  therefore, 
as  it  was  of  the  greatest  importance  to  mankind  to  be  as- 
certained of  the  truth  of  Christ's  death,  \\  hen  the  Evan- 
gelist John  relates  the  circumstance  which  demonstrates  it^ 
namely,  the  issuing  of  the  water  out  of  the  wound  in  his 
side,  he  insists  upon  it  particularly,  and  mentions  it  as  a 
thing  which  he  hiuiself  saw.     He  adds,  that  his  legs  were 


of  the  IIolij  Bible,  419 

not  broVn,  but  his  side  pierced,  tlvtt  that  scripture  might 
be  fulfilled  which  saith,  "  A  bone  ol"  him  shall  not  be  bro- 
ken;'' and  that  other,  "  They  shall  look  on  him  whom 
they  have  pierced." 

Amon,£^  the  disciples  of  Jesus,  who  beheld  his  ex- 
ecution, there  was  one  named  Joseph  of  Arimathea, 
a  man  remarkable  for  his  birth  and  fortune,  and  of- 
fice. Joseph  had  nothin^^  to  fear  from  the  governor, 
who  in  the  course  of  the  trial  had  shewed  the  irreatest 
inclination  to  release  Jesus.  But  he  had  reason  to  lear 
that  this  action  might  draw  upon  him  aljundance 
of  lU-will  from  the  rulers,  who  had  been  at  such  pains 
to  get  Jesus  crucified.  Nevertheless  the  regard  he  had 
for  his  Master  overcame  all  other  considerations,  and  he 
asked  leave  to  take  his  body  do\^  n  ;  because  if  no  friend 
had  obtained  it,  it  would  have  been  ignominiously  cast, 
out  among  the  executed  malefactors.  In  discharging 
the  last  duty  to  his  Master,  Joseph  was  assisted  by  ano- 
ther disciple,  named  Nicodemus,  the  ruler  who  formerly 
came  to  Jesus  by  night,  for  fear  of  the  Jews.  But  he 
was  not  afraid  of  them  now  ;  for  he  shewed  a  courage 
superior  to  that  of  the  apostles,  bringing  such  a  quantity 
of  spices*  along  with  him  as  was  necessary  to  the  funeral 
of  his  Master.  The  two  therefore  taking  down  the  naked 
body,  wrapped  it  with   the  spices  in  the  linen  furnished 


*  spices.  Those  who  have  written  upon  the  manners  and  customs  of  the  Jews 
tdl  us,  that  they  sometimes  embalmed  their  dead  with  an  aromatic  mixture  of 
myrrh,  aloes,  and  other  g;ums  or  spices,  which  they  rubbed  on  the  body  more  or 
less  profusely  according  to  their  circumstances,  and  their  regard  to  the  dead.  Af- 
ter anointing  the  body,  they  covered  it  with  a  shroud  or  winding-sheet,  then 
wrapped  a  napkin  round  its  head  and  face  ;  others  say,  round  the  forehead  only, 
because  the  Egyptian  mummies  are  obser\-ed  to  have  it  so :  last  of  all,  they  swa- 
thed the  shroud  round  the  body  as  tightly  as  possible  with  proper  bandages  made 
of  linen.  At  other  times  they  covered  the  vThoie  body  in  a  heap  of  spices.  Thus 
it  is  said  of  Asa,  2  Chron.  xvi.  14,  "  They  buried  him  in  the  bed  which  was  fill- 
ed with  sweet  odours,  and  divers  kinds  of  spices  prepared  by  the  apothecaries'  art.'' 
From  the  quantity  of  myrrh  and  aloes  made  use  of  by  Joseph  and  Nicodemus,  viz. 
an  hundred  pound  weight,  it  would  appear,  that  the  ofScc  performed  by  thfjn  to 
■^iieir  Master  was  of  this  latter  kind. 


420  A  Complete  History 

by  Joseph.  They  received  the  body  from  the  rross  m 
the  Hnen  cloth,  and  covered  it  therewith,  for  the  sake 
of  decency  ;  but  in  all  probability  they  did  not  wrap  it 
in  the  spices  till  they  carried  it  into  the  garden,  thert 
kid  it  in  Joseph's  sepulchre,  which  happened  to  be  nigh 
to  the  place  of  execution.  The  Galilean  women  who  had 
waited  on  Jesus  in  his  last  moments,  and  accompanied 
Iiim  to  the  sepulchre,  observing  that  the  funeral  rites  were 
performed  in  a  hurry,  agreed  among  themselves  to  come 
when  the  sabbath  was  passed,  and  embalm  their  dead 
Lord,  by  anointing  and  swathing  him  in  a  proper  manner. 
Accordingly,  when  the  burial  \vas  over,  they  returned  to- 
the  cit}'^,  and  bought  what  other  spices  were  necessary 
for  that  purpose  :  Nicodemus  having  furnished  a  mixture 
only  of  myrrh  and  aloes.  This  is  not  inconsistent  with 
Mark  xvi.  1,  where  we  are  told,  that  they  bought  spices 
after  the  sabbath  was  ended.  It  seems  the  quantity  w  hich 
according  to  Luke  had  been  provided  and  j>repared  on 
the  night  of  the  crucifixion,  was,  after  the  preparation, 
judged  too  small:  for  which  reason  they  went  the  first 
day  of  the  week,  and  bought  more.  Perhaps  the  money 
wherewith  they  purchased  these  spices  was  furnished  by 
Mary  Magdalene,  one  of  their  own  number,  who  seems 
to  have  been  a  person  of  distinction,  and  had  often  sup- 
jilicd  our  Lord  with  money.  Or  it  might  be  supplied  by 
Joanna  the  wife  of  Chuza,  Herod's  steward,  if  it  was  her 
who  in  the  history  of  Christ's  resurrection  is  mentioned  by 
that  name,  Luke  xxiv.  10. 

The  chief  priests  and  Pharisees,  remembering  that  Jesus 
had  predicted  his  own  resurrection  more  than  once,  came 
to. the  governor  and  informed  him  of  it,  begging  that  a 
guard  might  be  ordered  to  the  sepulchre,  lest  the  disciples 
should  carry  his  body  away,  and  affirm  that  he  was  risen 
from  the  dead.  Pilate  thinking  their  request  reasonable, 
allowed  them  to  take  as  many  soldiers  as  they  pleased  out 
of  the  cohort  which  at  the  feast  came  from  the  castle  An- 
tonia,  and  kept  guard  in  the  porticos  of  the  temple.  For 
that  they  were  not  Jewish,  but  Roman  soldiers,  whom 
the  priests  employed  to  watch  the  sepulchre,  is  evident 
from  their  asking  them  of  the  governor.  Besides,  \a  hen 
the  soldiers  returned  with  the  news  of  Christ's  resurrec-  , 


of  the  IMij  Bihle.  42 1 

tion,  th^  priests  desired  them  to  report  that  his  disciples 
had  stolen  him  awny  wliile  they  slept :  and  to  encourage 
then)  to  tell  the  falsehood  boldly,  promised,  that  if  their 
neglect  of  duty  came  to  the  governor's  ears,  proper 
means  should  be  used  to  pacify  him,  and  keep  them 
safe ;  a  promise  which  there  was  no  need  of  making  to 
their  own  servants.  "  So  they  went  and  made  the  se- 
pulchre sure,  scaling  the  stone,  and  setting  a  watch." 
The  priests  going  along  with  the  party,  placed  them  in 
their  post,  and  sealed  the  stone  that  was  rolled  to  the  door 
of  the  sepulchre,  to  hinder  the  guards  from  combining 
\vith  the  disciples  in  carrying  on  any  fraud.*  Thus, 
while  the  priests  cautiously  proposed  to  ])revent  our 
Lord's  resurrection  from  being  palmed  upon  the  world, 
resolving  no  doubt  to  shew  his  body  pubHcly  after  the 
third  day  as  an  impostor,  they  put  the  truth  of  Chri.st's  re- 
surrection beyond  all  question,  by  furnishing  a  number  of 
unexceptionable  witnesses  to  it,  whose  testimony  they 
themselves  could  not  refuse. 

When  the  sabbath  was  over,  which  ended  in  the  even- 
ing, Mary  Magdalene,  and  the  other  Mary,  who  M'as  the 
mother  of  James  and  Joses,  and  Salome,  with  Joanna, 
and  some  other  pious  women,  w  ere  so  intent  on  embaliu- 
ing  the  body  of  Jesus,  that  they  had  another  consultation 
about  it ;  and  not  satisfied  with  the  preparation  they  had 
made  before,  they  bought  more  spices  and  ointments, 
tliat  after  a  short  repose,  as  soon  as  ever  they  could  see  to 
do  it,  they  might  go  and  anoint  him  with  them,  and  pay 
liim  all  the  respect  of  an  honourable  interment. 

Now  Mary  Magdalene,  with  the  other  Mary  and  Sa- 
lome, were  ready  before  it  was  day;  and  setting  out  very 
early  in  the  morning,  while  it  was  yet  dark,  as  it  began 
to  dawn  towards  the  first  day  of  the  week,  they  went  to 


•  Fraud.  See  Dan.  vi.  17,  uhere  we  find  a  precaution  of  the  like  kind  made 
tise  of  by  Darius  in  the  case  of  Daniel  shut  up  in  the  lions'  den.  "  Andthey 
brought  Daniel,  and  cast  him  into  the  den  of  lions.  And  a  stone  was  brought 
and  laid  upon  the  mouth  of  the  den ;  and  the  king  sealed  it  with  his  own  signet, 
aAd  with  the  signet  of  his  lords  :  that  the  purpose  might  not  be  changed  concern- 
icg  Danie4" 


422  J[  Complete  ITistory 

take  a  view  of  the  sepulchre,  to  see  if  all  things  were  as 
they  had  left  them  :  and  not  long  after  they  were  followed 
by  Joanna  and  the  rest  who  were  to  meet  them  there,  who 
came  at  the  appointed  lime,  bringing  the  spices  with 
them.  As  they  were  advancing  towards  the  sepulchre, 
they  were  not  under  any  apprehension  from  the  soldiers 
that  were  set  to  guard  it,  who  had  been  stationed  there 
without  their  knov/ledge  on  the  sabbath-day,  but  remem- 
bering the  stone  that  was  placed  at  the  mouth  of  it,  they 
said  among  themselves,  "  Who  shall  roll  away  the  stone 
for  us  from  the  door  of  the  sepulchre,  which  all  of  us  to- 
gether have  not  strength  to  remove?"  For  they  had  seen 
Nicodemus  and  Joseph  stop  up  the  entrance  with  it ;  and 
it  was  indeed  very  large  and  heavy  ;  but  this  perplexity 
was  altogether  needless  ;  for  God  had  provided  a  very 
extraordinary  way  to  remove  that  obstruction  :  for  a  lit- 
tle before  they  arrived  there  was  a  great  earthquake,  which 
would  naturally  awaken  the  guards,  if  any  of  them  had 
fallen  asleep  :  and  very  awful  and  astonishing  were  the  cir- 
cumstances that  attended  it;  "  for  an  angel  of  the  Lord 
descending  from  heaven  had  approached  in  sight  of  the 
guards,  and  rolled  away  the  stone  from  the  door,  and  sat 
down  upon  it."  And,  at  the  very  same  time,  Jesus,  like 
a  sleeping  conqueror  awaking  on  a  sudden,  burst  asunder 
the  bands  of  death,  and  sprung  up  to  a  new  and  immor- 
tal life.  But  none  of  the  guards  saw  him  rise,  being  struck 
into  the  utmost  consternation  at  the  sight  of  the  angel,  who 
appeared  to  remove  the  stone :  and  well  indeed  they 
might  be  so ;  for  his  countenance  was  like  the  brightness 
of  lightning,  and  his  long-flowing  garment  was  as  white 
as  snow,  glittering  with  extraordinary  lustre  beyond  what 
their  eyes  could  bear.  And  the  guards,  though  Romans 
and  soldiers,  trembled  for  fear  at  the  sight  of  him,  and 
became  like  so  many  dead  men,  falling  down  on  their 
faces  in  a  most  helpless  condition.  But  quickly  after, 
presuming  to  lid  up  their  eyes,  and  finding  he  had  disap- 
peared, and  had  left  the  sepulchre  open,  they  fled  to  some 
distant  place,  to  consult  their  own  safety  in  so  surprising 
an  occurrence. 

By  this  time  the  women,  who  had  set  out  as  it  began 
to  diiwn.   were  near  the  place  ;   and  Mary    Magdalene, 


of  the  Holy  Bible.  423 

transported  nith  the  distinguishing^  ardour  of  her  affec- 
tion, advanced  a  little  before  the  rest ;  and,  it  being  now 
light  enough  to  discern  objects,  she  looked  forward,  and 
saw  to  her  great  surprise,  that  the  stone  was  already  ta- 
ken away  from  the  sepulchre,  and  that  the  tomb  was  open. 
And  she  was  greatly  astonished  and  alarmed  at  the  sight, 
and  presently  concluded  that  the  body  was  removed. 
She  therefore  stepped  back,  and  informed  her  compani- 
ons of  this  circumstance ;  upon  which  they  also  looked, 
and  plainly  found  that  it  was  as  she  represented,  and  that 
the  stone  was  indeed  rolled  away  from  the  entrance  of 
the  sepulchre.  And  not  reflecting  on  the  assurance  Jesus 
had  given  them  of  his  rising  again  from  the  dead,  they 
knew  not  how  to  aceoimt  lor  the  removal  of  the  stone  ; 
but  Mary  Magdalene  and  her  companions  having  consult- 
ed a  little  together,  as  well  as  the  confusion  they  were  in 
would  admit,  it  was  thought  best  that  some  of  the  disci- 
ples should  be  immediately  acquainted  with  it :  she  there- 
fore ran  back  to  the  city  with  all  possible  dispatch,  and 
knowing  vvJiere  they  lodged,  she  conies  to  Simon  Peter, 
and  to  John,  and  finding  them  already  up,  and  full  of  so- 
licitude about  the  event  of  this  important  day,  she  says  to 
them,  O  my  friends,  the  sepulchre  is  broken  open,  and 
some  or  other  must  have  been  tiiere,  who  have  removed 
the  stone  ;  nor  is  there  any  room  to  doubt  but  they  have 
taken  away  the  Lord  out  of  the  sepulchre,  and  we  know 
not  where  they  have  laid  him  ;  so  that  I,  and  my  compa- 
nions, whom  I  have  left  behind  me,  cannot  find  any  me- 
thod of  performing  that  last  office  of  respect  and  afiection 
Avhich  you  know  we  intended. 

Upon  hearing  this,  without  so  much  as  staying  to  make 
any  reply,  Peter,  whose  heart  was  struck  with  such  a 
circumstance,  arose  in  a  transport  of  various  passions, 
and  that  other  disciple  whom  we  mentioned  before,  and 
went  directly  out,  and  never  stopped  till  they  came  to  the 
sepulchre.  And  not  contented  with  the  swiftest  pace  with 
which  they  could  walk,  they  both  ran  together  ;  and  as 
that  other  disciple  was  the  younger  man,  he  out-ran  Peter 
who  had  the  start  of  him  at  the  beginning,  and  came  first 
to  the  sepulchre  :  and  stooping  down  to  look  into  it,  he 


424  A  Complete  ILstori/ 

saw  the  linen  dotlics,  or  rollers,  \n  which  the  corpse  had 
been  wrapped  up,  lying  there  by  themselves  ;  but  he  did 
not  at  first  enter  into  the  sepulchre.  Then  came  Si- 
mon Peter,  very  quickly  foUovv^ing  him,  and  having  stoop- 
ed down  to  look  into  the  sepulchre,  as  John  had  done  be- 
fore, he  was  not  satisfied  with  this :  but  that  he  might  ex- 
amine this  important  affiiir  with  such  exactness  as  it  de- 
served, he  went  into  the  sepulchre,  and  found  the  body 
was  gone,  but  saw  the  linen  clothes,  with  which  it  had 
been  covered,  laid  by  themselves,  as  John  had  observed 
from  without.  And  he  discovered  another  material  cir- 
cumstance, which  had  not  been  remarked  before,  namely, 
that  the  napkin  which  was  about  his  head,  was  not  laid 
with  the  linen  clothes,  but  was  folded  up  in  a  place  by  it- 
self, in  such  an  orderly  manner,  as  plainly  shewed,  that 
the  body  was  not  hastily  hurried  away,  either  by  friend  or 
enemy  ;  but-made  the  sepulchre  appear  rather  like  a  bed- 
chamber, which  a  person  on  his  awaking  in  the  morning 
had  leisurely  quitted.  Then  John  who  came  first  to  the 
sepulchre,  and  was  less  adventurous  than  Peter,  stood 
hitherto  without,  went  in  also  to  view  it ;  and  when  he 
saw  the  several  parts  of  the  funeral-dress  in  this  situation, 
he  was  immediately  convinced  that  his  dear  Master  was 
indeed  revived.  For  hitherto  they  did  not  know  the  full 
meaning  of  those  various  intimations  of  scripture  to  which 
Jesus  had  so  often  referred,  to  convince  them  that  he  must 
certainly  rise  from  the  dead  ;*  which  if  they  had  consider- 
ed, they  would  cheerfully  have  expected  the  sure  accom- 
plishment of  them,  and  would  not  have  been  so  much  sur- 
prised at  the  news  which  Mary  brought  them. 

Then  both  the  disciples  v^ent  away  again  to  their  com- 
panions in  the  city,  Peter  not  being  so  thoroughly  satis- 
fied as  John  was,  yet  greatly  wondering  in  himself  at 
what  had  happened,  and  very  much  concerned  as  to  the 
event  of  so  surprising  a  circumstance.  Bui  Mary  who  was 
now  returned,  stood  near  the  sepulchre  after  Peter  and 
John  were  gone  from  it,  not  indeed  going  into  it  as  tliey 
had  done,  but  weeping  without,    in  great  perplexity  at 


•  Dead.    See  Matt.  xvi.  21,  &c, 


of  the  Holy  Bible.  425 

her  not  knowing  what  was  become  of  Jesus  :  and  as  she 
wept,  slie  also  stooped  down,  and  looked  very  wishfully 
into  the  sepulchre  ;  and  there  she  saw  with  great  surprise 
two  angels  in  the  form  of  men,  clothed  in  white  habits,  sit- 
ting, one  at  the  head,  and  the  other  at  the  feet,  of  that 
niche  in  the  sepulchre  where  the  body  of  Jesus  had  been 
laid.  And  they  said  to  her  with  a  tender  regard,  "  Wo- 
man, why  dost  thou  weep  thus?"  And  she  said  to  them, 
*'  Alas,  1  have  reason  enough  to  weep  ;  it  is  because  they 
have  taken  away  the  body  of  Jesus  my  dear  Lord,  and  I 
know  not  where  they  have  laid  him,  or  how  the  sacred 
corpse  may  be  neglected  or  abused."  And  just  as  she 
had  said  this,  hearing  a  sudden  noise  behind  her,  she  turn- 
ed back,  before  the  angels  could  give  her  any  answer;  and 
she  saw  Jesus  himself  standing  near  her  :  and  she  knew 
not  at  first  that  it  was  Jesus,  his  habit  being  changed,  her 
eyes  also  overflowing  with  tears,  and  her  mind  being  so 
far  from  any  expectation  of  his  appearance,  and  so  much 
distressed,  that  she  did  not  so  much  as  look  up  to  the  face 
of  the  person  who  appeared.  Then  Jesus  said  to  her 
with  a  gentle  voice,  "  Woman,  why  dost  thou  weep 
thus  ?  and  whom  dost  thou  seek  ?"  And  she,  supposing 
him  to  be  the  gardener,  said  to  him,  '■'■  Sir,  if  thou  hast 
for  any  unknown  reason  borne  him  away  from  hence, 
■where  the  master  of  the  sepulchre  saw  fit  so  honourably 
to  lay  him  but  a  few  hours  ago,  I  earnestly  beg  thou 
wouldst  immediately  tell  me  where  thou  hast  put  him,  and 
I  will  remove  him,  and  take  effectual  care  that  his  corpse 
shall  be  decently  interred  elsewhere,  without  giving  any 
farther  trouble  here." 

Jesus  on  this,  said  to  her,  with  a  loud  and  distinct 
voice,  in  his  usual  affectionate  way,  "  Mary,  dost  thou  not 
know  me?"  Mary  thereupon  turning  directly  towards 
him,  and  eagerly  fixing  her  eyes  upon  him,  immediately 
discovered  who  it  was ;  and  transported  with  a  mixture 
of  unutterable  passions,  she  said  to  him  "  Rabboni !"  that 
is  to  say,  *'  My  great  Master,  and  teacher  !"  and  so  much 
was  her  heart  affected,  that  she  could  say  no  more ;  but 
immediately  prostrated  herself  at  his  tcet  to  embrace 
them.  But  Jesus  said  to  her,  "  Do  not  stay  here  to  em- 
brace me  now,"  either  to  pay  thine  homage  to  me,  or 

Vol.  II.  i  H 


426'  A  Complete  History, 

tb  coafirm  thy  faith  ;  both  which  thou  wilt  have  c5thc? 
opportunities  of  doing  ;  for  I  aYii  not  yet  withdrawn  from 
your  world,  and  asccmded  to  the  heavenly  court  of  wvf 
Father,  as  you  may  imag-ine,  I  should  presently  do  ;  but 
I  shall  yet  continue  for  a  little  while  upon  the  earth,  and 
give  you  further  opportunities  of  seeing  me  again  :  let 
nothing  therefor^,  now  detain  thee  any  longer,  but  go 
immediatelv  to  mv  dear  brethren,  for  whom  I  have  stiil 
the  same  affectionate  regard  as  ever,  and  say  unto  them^ 
"  I  am  risen  from  tlie  dead,"  and  after  I  have  paid  some 
\isits  to  ydu,  am  shortly  indeed  to  ascend  into  heaven^ 
from  whence  I  came  ;  yet  grieve  not  at  that  separation, 
but  remember,  tliat  as  I  am  going  to  him  who  is  in  a  very 
peculiar  sense  my  Father,  so  I  shall  still  be  mindful  of 
your  interest,  and  am  also  going  to  your  Father,  and 
to  my  God,  and  your  God ;  for  such  he  is  now  become, 
through  that  covenant  which  he  has  established  with  you 
in  me :  on  the  whole  therefore,  you  have  iniiniteiy  greater 
reason  to  rejoice  than  to  mourn.  And  upon  saying  this, 
he  immediately  disappeared  for  the  present  ;  and  the 
other  women,  advancing  to  the  sepulchre,  \vhere  the  an- 
gels continued,  received  the  news  of  his  resurrection  from 
them,  and  were  directed,  as  M-ary  Magdalene  also  was,  to 
report  it  to  the  disciples. 

The  same  day  on  which  Jesus  arose,  one  of  his  disci- 
ples named  Cleophas  or  Alphcus,  was  travelling  to  Em- 
maus,  a  village  about  seven  miles  distant  from  Jerusa- 
lem, in  company  with  another  disciple  whose  name  is 
not  mentioned.  The  two  were  in  the  utmost  dejection 
Oil  account  of  their  Master's  death,  insomuch  that  their 
grief  appeared  visible  in  their  countenances,*  moreover 
as  they  went  along,  they  talked  of  the  things  that  sat 
heaviest  on  their  spirits.  "  And  while  they  communed 
Together,  and  reasoned,  Jesus  himself  drew  near,  and 
went  with  them." — He  overtook  them  as  coming  himself 
from  Jerusalem.  "  But  their  eyes  were  holden  that  they 
should  not  know  him  :  they  weie.  held  by  his  miraculous 
power;   or  they  mistook  him  by  reason  of  his  appearing. 


Q)untenaiu:es.    Luke -xxiv.  17,  Stc. 


of  the  lluhj  litljle.  427 

TO  them  in  an  unusual  dress.  By  tlie  altcrati<Mi  ^hick 
6CSUj  could  easily  make  in  the  tone  of  his  voice,  while 
speaking,  and  by  his  new  dress,  he  might  be  concealed 
liom  them,  especially  as  they  still  believed  he  was 
dead,  and  had  no  expectation  of  his  resurrection.  Jesus 
therefore  spake  to  them  in  the  chaiacter  of  a  stranger, 
making  free,  as  travellers  might  do.  with  one  anodier,  to 
ask  what  the  subject  of  their  conversation  was,  and  why 
they  looked  so  sad  ?  Cleophas  was  surprised  ti'.at  any  one 
who  had  corne  from  Jerusalem  sb.ould  have  been  ignorant 
of  the  extraordinary  things  which  had  lately  happened 
there.  "  And  he  said  unto  them,  \Vhat  things?  And 
tliey  said  imto  him,  Concerning  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  which 
"was  a  prophet  mighty  in  deed  and  word  before  God,  and 
all  the  people  :  and  how  the  chief  priests  and  our  rulers 
delivered  him  to  be  condemned  to  death,  and  have  cru- 
cified him."  Having  thus  given  an  account  of  Christ'^ 
•character,  miracles,  and  sufferings,  Cleophas  was  so  in- 
genuous as  to  acknowledge,  that  they  once  beheved  him 
to  be  the  deliverer  of  Israel,  and  in  that  faith  had  been 
liis  disciples ;  but  that  they  began  now  to  think  them- 
selves mistaken,  because  he  had  been  dead  three  days. 
Cleophas  added,  that  some  women  of  their  acquaintance, 
Avho  had  been  that  morning  at  the  sepulchre,  astonished 
them  with  the  news  of  his  resurrection,  affirming  that 
they  had  seen  a  vision  of  angels,  which  told  tiicm  he  was 
alive.  *'  Then  he  said  unto  them,  G  fools,  and  slow  of 
heart  to  believe  all  that  the  prophets  have  spoken! 
Gught  not  Christ  to  have  suftered  these  things,  and  to 
enter  into  his  glory?''  From  this  reproof  it  would  ap- 
pear, that  Cleophas  and  his  companion  were  of  the  num- 
ber  of  those  who  a:ave  little  credit  to  the  tidin«"s  which  the 
women  had  brought  of  their  Master's  resurrection.  His 
crucifixion  and  death,  as  tliey  themselves  acknowledged, 
having  almost  convinced  them  that  he  was  not  the  Mes- 
siah, they  had  litde  faith  in  his  resurrection.  Wherefore, 
to  shew  them  their  error,  Jesus  reproved  them  sharply 
for  not  understanding  and  believing  the  prophecies, 
which,  said  he,  declare  it  to  be  the  decree  of  heaven, 
that  before  Messiah  enters  into  his  glory,  that  is,  before 
h«  receives  his  kingdom,  he  must  suffer  such  things  ^ 


428  A  Complete  History 

you  say  your  Master  has  suffered.  Moreover,  that  his 
reproof  might  appear  well-founded,  that  their  drooping 
spirits  might  be  supported,  and  that  they  might  be  pre- 
pared for  the  discovery  he  was  about  to  make  of  himself, 
he  explained  the  types  and  prophecies  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment which  relate  to  Messiah's  sufferings ;  such  as  the 
Mosaical  sacrifices,  and  the  lifting  up  of  the  brazen  ser- 
pent. Psalm  xxii.  Isaitih  liii.  See.  Thus  did  Jesus  de- 
monstrate to  his  desponding  disciples,  from  the  Scriptures, 
that  their  despair  was  without  cause,  and  the  suspicion 
'^^ithout  foundcition,  which  they  had  taken  up  of  his  being 
a  deceiver,  because  the  priests  had  put  him  to  death.  His 
discourse  made  a  deep  impression  on  them,  and  engrossed 
their  attention  to  such  a  degree,  that  they  neither  thought 
of  the  length  of  the  journey,  nor  considered  the  coun- 
tenance of  him  who  spake  to  them  ;  so  thai,  ere  they 
were  aware,  they  arrived  at  the  village  v.iiither  they 
•went.  And  now  the  disciples  turned  aside  from  the  road, 
to  go  to  their  lodging,  Jesus  in  the  mean  time  travelling 
on.  But  they,  loth  to  part  with  a  person  whose  conver- 
sation charmed  them  so  much,  begged  him  to  go  no  far- 
ther, but  to  abide  with  them,  because  the  day  was  far 
spent.  By  llieir  hearty  invitations,  the  disciples  pre- 
vailed with  their  fellow-traveller  to  turn  in  with  them  ; 
and  their  humanity  met  with  an  abundant  recompence, 
for  Jesus  made  himself  known  to  them  at  table,  in  the 
action  of  giving  God  thanks  for  their  food.  "  And  their 
eyes  were  opened,  and  they  knew  him  :  and  he  vanished 
out  of  their  sight." 

As  soon  as  Jesus  departed,  the  two  disciples  made  all 
the  haste  they  could  to  Jerusalem,  that  they  might  have 
the  pleasure  of  acquainting  their  brethren  with  the  agreea- 
ble news.  But  they  were  in  some  measure  prevented. 
For  immediately  on  their  arrival,  the  eleven,  with  the  wo- 
men, accosted  them,  giving  them  the  news  of  their  Mas- 
ter's resurrection,  immediately  exclaiming,  "  The  Lord 
is  risen  indeed,  and  hath  appeared  to  Simon  !" 

While  the  disciples  from  Emmaus  were  giving  their 
brethren  an  account  of  the  Lord's  appearing  to  tliem, 
and  offering  arguments  to  convince  those  vvho  doubted 
the  truth  of  it,  Jesus  himself  came  in,  and  put  an  end  to 


oftht  Iluhj  Vuhk.  42a 

llitlr  tkbale  by  slicw  ing  them  his  hands  and  feet.  "  And 
lis  tlxy  thus  spake,  Jesus  hhiiselt"  stood  in  the  midst  of 
them.''''  The  expression,  «« <v ^kt* auTw,  signiiies  that  he 
stood  among  them,  witliout  intimating  whether  they  saw 
him  come  fbrw aid,  or  did  not  observe  him  till  he  was  near 
them.  John  however  mentions  a  circumstance,  which, 
compared  with  Luke's  account,  seems  to  prove  that  they 
saw  him  enter  tlic  ro^m  and  come  forward.  "  Then  the 
same  da}-  at  evening,  being  the  first  day  of  the  week, 
when  the  doors  were  shut  where  the  disciples  were  assem- 
bled, for  fear  of  the  Jews,  came  Jesus,  and  stood  in  tiie 
midst,  and  saith  unto  them,  "  Peace  be  unto  you,"  John 
XX.  19.  "•  But  they  were  terrified  and  affrighted,  and 
supposed  that  they  had  seen  a  spirit,"  Luke  xxiv.  37. 
Tlie  disciples  had  secured  the  doors  of  the  house  by  locks 
and  bolts,  as  well  as  tbey  could,  for  fear  of  the  Jews.  But 
Jesus,  beibre  he  entered,  opened  the  locks  and  drew  the  bolts 
by  his  miraculous  power,  without  the  knowledge  of  any  iii 
the  house.  Wherefore,  as  the  whole  company  knew  that 
the  doors  had  been  secured,  it  was  no  wonder  that  they 
supposed  diey  saw  a  spectre,  and  were  exceedingly  af- 
frighted, when  something  in  a  human  form,  whose  fea- 
tures they  could  not  easily  discern  by  the  evening  light, 
entered  the  room.  Thus  the  circumstance  of  the  doors 
being  shut  is  very  happily  mentioned  by  John,  because  it 
suggests  the  reason  why  the  disciples  took  Jesus  for  a  spi- 
rit, as  Luke  tells  us,  notwithstanding  the  greatest  part  of 
them  believed  he  was  risen,  and  were  conversing  about 
his  resurrection  at  that  very  instant.  To  dispel  their  fears 
and  doubts,  Jesus  came  forward,  spake  to  them,  and 
shewed  them  his  hands  and  feet,  desiring  them  to  handle 
him,  and  be  convinced  by  the  united  report  of  their 
senses,  that  it  was  he.  And  he  said  unto  them,  "  Wh.y 
are  ye  troubled,  and  why  do  thoughts  arise  in  your 
hearts'?  Behold  my  hands  and  my  feet,  that  it  is  I  my- 
self: handle  me,  and  see,  for  a  spirit  hath  not  flesh  and 
l)ones  as  ye  see  me  h.ave.  And  wlien  he  had  thus  spoken, 
he  shewed  them  his  hands  and  his  feet,  and  his  side." 
Luke  xxiv.  38,  39,  40.  The  disciples  beholding  these 
infallible  proofs  of  their  Master's  resurrection,  received 
hinii  with  exultation  *nd  rapture.     But  their  joy  and  won- 


430  J  Complete  History 

der  so  wrought  upon  their  minds,  that  some  of  them,  sen- 
sible of  the  commotion  they  were  in,  suspended  their 
belief  till  they  had  considered  the  matter  more  calmly. 
Jesus,  therefore,  knowing  theif  thoughts,  called  for  meat, 
and  did  eat  with  them,  to  prove  more  fully  the  certain 
truth  of  his  resurrection  from  the  dead,  and  the  reality  of 
his  presence  with  them  on  this  occasion.  "  And  while 
they  jet  believed  not  for  joy,  and  wondered,  he  said  unto 
them,  Have  ye  here  any  meat?  And  they  gave  him  a 
piece  of  a  broiled  fish,  and  of  an  honeycomb.  And  he 
took  it,  and  did  eat  before  them,"  Luke  xxiv.  41,  42,  43. 
He  tanied  so  long  with  them,  that  they  had  time  to  make 
ready  some  fish  for  supper,  which  he  took  a  share  of. 
*'  Then  said  Jesus  unto  them  again.  Peace  be  unto  you  : 
as  my  Father  hath  sent  me,  even  so  send  I  you,"  John  xx. 
21.  I  send  you  to  preach  the  gosp:.^!,  and  teach  men  the 
way  of  salvation,  for  which  purpose  I  honour  you  with  an 
authority  and  commission  from  God,  and  bestow  on  you 
power  to  confirm  your  doctrine  and  mission  by  miracles. 
*'  And  when  he  had  said  this,  he  breathed  on  them,  and 
saith  unto  them,  Receive  ye  the  Holy  Ghost."  Luke,  xxiv. 
ver.  o5^  informs  us,  diat  the  disciples  from  Emmaus  told 
theii;  brethren  on  this  occasion  what  things  were  done  in 
the  way.  Among  the  rest,  no  doubt  the^^  repeated  the  in- 
terpretations which  Jesus  gave  of  the  prophecies  con- 
cerning his  own  sufferings  and  death.  But  such  a  sense 
of  the  Scriptures  being  diametrically  opposite  to  the  no- 
tions which  the  Jews  in  general  entertained,  a  peculiar 
illumination  of  the  Spirit  was  necessary  to  enable  the 
apostles  to  discern  it.  Thi^  illumination  they  now  re- 
ceived  from  Jesus,  who,  in  token  that  he  bestowed  it, 
breathed  upon  them,  and  bade  them  receive  it.  The  ef- 
fect of  tins  illumination  was,  that  by  perceiving  the 
agreeableness  of  the  things  which  had  befallen  him  with 
the  ancient  prophecies  concerning  Messiah,  their  minds 
"were  q»iieted,  and  they  were  fitted  to  judge  of  the  pre- 
sent appearance,  and  of  the  other  appearances  which  Je- 
sus was  to  make  before  his  ascension.  Farther,  the  ex- 
pression, "  Receive  ye  the  Holy  Ghost,"  may  have  a  re- 
lation not  only  to  the  illumination  of  the  Spirit  which 
they  nov/  received,  but  to  those  which  they  wdre  to  re- 


of  the  Iluly  Biljk.  431 

ceivc  aftenvards,  and  in  greater  measure.  Accordingly 
it  is  added,  "  W^hose  soever  sins  ye  remit,  tiiey  are  re- 
mitted unto  them  ;  and  whose  soever  sins  ye  retain,  they 
are  retained."  I'his  may  reier  to  the  temporal  jjardoa 
and  punishment  of  men's  sins.  Or  the  meaning  may  be, 
Ye  are  soon  to  receive  the  Holy  Ghost  in  the  inlness  of 
his  communications,  whereby  you  sliali  understand  the 
will  of  God  for  men's  s:ilvation  in  the  most  comprehen- 
sive manner,  and  so  be  qualified  to  declare  the  only  term.s 
on  which  nicn's  sins  are  to  be  pardoned.  Some  indeed 
carry  the  matter  higher,  sujiposing  that  this  i*^  the  power 
of  what  they  call  aut/writative  absolution.  Yet  the  on- 
ly foundation  on  which  the  apostles  themselves  could 
claim  such  a  power,  must  either  have  been  the  gift  of 
discerning  spirits,  which  the}^  enjoyed  after  the  effusion 
gf  the  Holy  Ghost,  1  Cor.  xii.  10,  and  by  which  they 
knew  the  secret  thoughts  of  men's  hearts,  consequently 
the  reality  of  their  repentance ;  or  it  must  have  been 
some  infallible  communication  of  the  will  of  God  con- 
cerning men's  future  state  that  was  made  to  them.  For, 
properly  speaking,  they  neither  forgave  nor  retained  sins, 
they  only  declared  a  matter  of  fact  infallibly  made  known 
to  them  by  God.  In  the  mean  time,  to  render  this  inter- 
pretation feasible,  the  general  expressions,  "  Whose  soe- 
ver sins  ye  remit,  Sec."  must  be  very  much  limited,  since 
it  was  but  a  single  individual  here  and  there,  whose  con- 
dition in  the  life  to  come  can  be  supposed  to  have  been 
made  known  to  the  apostles  by  revelation.  "  But' Tho- 
mas, one  of  the  twelve,  called  Didymus,  that  is,  the 
twin,  was  not  with  tliem  when  Jesus  came,-'  John  xx. 
24  It  is  said,  Luke  xxiv.  33,  that  the  disciples  from 
Emmaus  told  their  story  to  the  eleven,  and  to  them  that 
were  wilh  them.  The  eleven  was  the  name  by  which  the 
apostles  went  after  tJie  death  of  Judas,  whether  they  ^yere 
precisely  that  number  or  fewer.  Wherefore  we  are  under 
no  necessity,  from  this  name,  of  supposing  that  Thomas 
was  present  when  the  disciples  came  in.  We  are  sure 
that  he  was  not  present  in  this  meeting,  when  Jesus  shew- 
ed himself  Yet,  if  Luke's  expression  is  thought  to  im- 
ply that  Thomas  was  with  his  brethren  at  the  arrival  of  die 
disciples,  we  may  suppose  tliat  he  was  one  of  those  who 


432  J  Complete  History 

would  not  be^lieve,  (Mark  xvi.  13.)  and  that  he  went 
away  before  they  had  finished  their  relation.  The  other 
disciples  therefore  said  unto  him,  "  We  have  seen  the 
Lord."  But  he  said  unto  them,  Except  I  shall  see  in  his 
hands  the  print  of  the  nails,  and  put  my  finger  into  the 
print  of  the  nails,  and  thrust  my  hand  into  his  side,  except 
I  have  the  fullest  evidence,  arising  from  the  testimony  of 
my  own  seeing  and  feeling  him,  1  will  not  believe  that  he 
is  risen." 

Thus  ended  the  transactions  of  the  day  oil  which  our 
Lord  arose  from  the  dead ;  a  day  much  to  be  remem- 
bered by  men  throughout  all  generations,  because  it 
brought  fully  into  act  the  conceptions  which  had  lodged 
in  the  breast  of  infinite  wisdom  from  eternity,  even  those 
thoughts  of  love  and  mercy  on  which  the  salvation  of 
the  world  depended.  Christians  therefore  have  the  high- 
est reason  to  solemnize  this  day  with  gladness  each  return- 
ing week,  by  ceasing  from  labour,  and  giving  themselves 
up  to  holy  meditations  and  other  exercises  of  devotion. 
The  redemption  of  mankind,  whicli  they  commemorate 
thereon  in  its  finishing  stroke,  aflbrds  matter  for  eternal 
thought,  being  such  a  subject  as  no  other,  how  great  so- 
ever, can  equal ;  and  whose  lustre  neither  length  of  time 
nor  frequent  reviewing  can  ever  diminish.  For  as  by 
often  beholding  the  sun,  we  do  not  find  him  less  glorious 
or  luminous  than  before,  so  this  benefit  wliich  we  celebrate 
after  so  many  ages,  is  as  fresh  and  beautiful  as  ever,  and 
will  continue  to  be  so,  flourishing  in  the  memories  of  all 
reasonable  beings  through  the  endless  revolutions  of  eter- 
nity. 

Light  days  after  his  resurrection  our  Lord  shewed  him- 
self again  to  the  eleven,  \vhile  Thomas  vras  with  them. 
"  Afterward  he  appeared  unto  the  eleven,  as  they  sat 
at  meat,  and  upbraided  them  with  their  unbelief,  and 
hardness  of  heart,  because  they  believed  not  them  which 
had  seen  him  after  he  was  risen."*  Tt  was  Thomas  whom 
.Jesus  now  upbraided,  as  is  evident  from  the  more  full 
account  which  John  has  given  us  of  this  aflair.     For,  con- 


*  Risen.     Murk  xvi.  14. 


of  tlt€  Hull/  Bible.  433 

descending  to  bear  with  tlic  stubbornness  of  his  unbeliev- 
ing ap(Jbllcs,  he  desired  Thomub  in  particular  to  put  his 
finger  into  the  print  of  the  nails,  and  to  thrust  his  hand 
into  his  side,  that  he  might  convince  himself  by  the  only 
proofs  which  he  had  declared  should  convince  him.  Thuri 
Jesus  demonstrated,  not  only  that  he  was  risen,  but  that 
he  was  possessed  of  divine  knowledge,  being  conscious 
of  the  thoughts  and  actions  of  men.  Accordingly  Tho- 
mas, exceedingly  struck  with  the  proof,  cried  out  in 
great  amazement,*  "  My  Lord,  and  my  God!"  Jesus  said 
unto  him,  "  Thomas,  because  thou  hast  seen  me  thou  hast 
believed;  blessed  are  they  that  have  not  seen,  and  yet 
have  believed;"  thou  hast  believed  my  resurrection,  be- 
cause thou  hast  had  it  confirmed  to  the  by  th«;<^  united  tes- 
timony of  ail  thy  senses ;  they  are  persons  of  a  better  dis- 
position, who,  without  the  evidence  of  sense,  are  so  can- 
did as  to  yield  to  the  proofs  which  the  divine  wisdom  has 
Uiought  sufficient  for  convincing  the  world. 

Our  Lord  having,  first  by  the  angels,  and  then  in  per- 
son, ordered  his  disciples  to  go  home  to  Galilee,  with  a 
promise  that  they  should  see  him  there,  it  is  reasonable 
to  think  that  they  would  depart  as  soon  as  possible. 
Wherefore,  when  they  Avere  come  to  their  respective 
homes,  they  followed  their  occupations  as  usual ;  and 
particularly  the  apostles,  who  pursued  their  old  trade  of 
fishing  on  the  lake.  Here,  as  they  were  plying  their  nets 
one  morning  early,  Jesus  shewed  himself  to  them,  but 
the  disciples  knew  not  that  it  was  Jesus,  for  it  was  some- 
^^•hat  dark,  and  they  were  at  a  distance  from  him.f     He 


•  Amazement.  O  nug/sc  ^x,  x«i  a  3-£5c  [jm,  "  My  Lord  anfd  my  God."  Though 
the  nominative  often  occurs  for  the  vocative,  it  is  the  former  case  that  is  used 
here,  the  words  au  ii  being  understood.  To  this  the  context  agrees,  for  we  are 
told  that  these  words  were  addressed  to  Jesus.  "  Thomas  answered  and  sa,id  unto 
him,  My  Lord  and  my  God."  Wherefore  they  cannot  be  taken  merely  as  an  ex- 
clamation of  surprise,  which  is  the  Socinian  gloss  ;  but  their  meaning  is,  Thou 
art  really  he  whom  I  lately  followed  as  my  Lord,  and  I  acknowledge  th^eto  be  pos- 
seseed  of  infinite  knowledge,  and  worship  thee  as  my  God, 

■f-  Him,     John  xxi.  1,  8;c. 

Vol.  II.  3  1 


434  A  Complete  Hisidiy 

called  to  them,  and  asked  if  they  had  caught  any  thing  ? 
They  answered,  they  had  got  nothing.  He  desired  them 
to  let  down  their  nets  on  the  right  side  of  the  boat.  The 
disciples,  imagining  that  he  might  be  acquainted  with  the 
places  proper  lor  fishing,  did  as  he  directed  them,  and 
caught  a  multitude  of  fishes.  Such  marvellous  success, 
after  having  toiled  all  the  preceding  night  to  no  purpose^ 
could  not  fail  to  make  them  form  various  conjectures 
about  the  stranger  who  had  given  them  the  happy  ad- 
vice. Some  could  not  tell  who  he  was ;  otliers  said  he 
"was  the  Lord.  Simon  Peter,  who  was  of  this  latter  opi- 
nion, entertaining  no  doubt  of  it,  girt  on  his  fisher's  coat, 
and  cast  himself  into  the  sea.  VVherefore  he  leaped  out 
hastily,  and  walked  as  fast  as  he  could  to  the  land,  which 
Was  only  about  sixty  paces  off. 

When  the  disciples  came  ashore,  they  found  a  firft 
burning,  on  which  there  was  a  fish  broilhig.  At  hand 
also  was  some  bread.  But  neither  being  sufficient  for 
the  company,  or  perhaps  to  shew  them  the  reality  of  the 
miracle,  by  making  them  attend  to  the  number  and 
largeness  of  the  fish  which  they  had  caught,  and  to  the 
nets  not  being  broken,  Jesus  bade  them  bring  some  of 
their  own,  then  invited  them  to  dine,  that  is,  to  eat  with 
him.*  By  this  time  they  were  all  so  fully  convinced 
that  it  was  the  Lord,  that  none  of  them  durst  ask  who  he 
was.  It  is  not  said  indeed  that  Jesus  now  ate  with  them  ; 
but  his  invitation  to  them  implies  it.  Thus  Jesus  proved 
to  his  disciples  anew  the  reality  of  his  resurrection,  not 
only  by  eating  with  them,  but  by  working  a  miracle  like 
that  which,  at  the  beginning  of  his  ministry,  had  made 
such  an  impression  upon  them  as  disposed  them  to  be  his 
constant  followers.  So,  when  they  had  dined,  Jesus 
saith  to  Simon  Pet^,  *'  Simon,  son  of  Jonas,  lovest  thou 
me  more  than  these  ? — more  than  thy  brethren  apostles 
love  me?"  in  allusion  to  the  high  professions  of  love  and 
fidelity  which  Peter  had   formerly  made  to   him.      He 


*  ITim.     For  the  Greek  word  a^cna-stTf,  signifies  sometimes  to  take  meat  in 
tjie  morning,  which  is  the  meaning  of  it  here 


of  the  Iloiij  Bible.  43  § 

saith  unto  him,  *'  Yea,    Lord ;    thou  knowcst  that  I  love 
thcc."     Being  taught  modesty  and  diffidence  by  his  late 
llill,  Peter  would  not  now  compare  himself  with  others, 
but  humbly  appealed  to  his  Master*s  omniscience  for  the 
sincerity  of  his  regard  to  him.     Upon  this,  Jesus  first  de- 
sired him  to  leed  his  lambs,  that  is,  to  exhort  and  com- 
fort the  young  and  tender  part  of  the  flock,  those  who 
w  ere  to  be  converted.      Then,  to  give  him  an  opportu- 
nity  of  renewing  his  professions,    "  he  saith  unto   him 
again  the  second  time,  Simon,  son  of  Jonas,  lovest  thou 
me  ?  He  saith  unto  him,  Yea,  Lord ;  thou  knowest  that 
1  love  thee.     He  saith  unto  him,  Feed  my  sheep.     He 
saith  unto  him  the  third  time,  Simon,  son  of  Jonas,  lovest 
thou  me?   Peter  was  grieved  because  he  said  unto  him 
the  third  time,  Lovest  thou  me  ?  and  he  said  unto  him, 
Jjord  thou  knowest  all  things,  thou  knowest  that  I   love 
thee.     Jesus  saith  unto  him,  "  Feed  my  sheep."*    From 
our  Lord's  asking  Peter  if  he  loved  him,  before  he  gave 
him  commission  to  feed  his  lambs  and  his  sheep,  it  is 
justly  inferred,  that  to  render  men  duly  qualified  for  the 
ministerial  function,  they  must   prefer   the  interest   and 
lionour  of  Christ  to  every  other  consideration  whatever. 
Moreover,  the  repetition  of  this  commission  three  times, 
may  have  been  in  allusion  to  Peter's  three  denials.     In  it 
the  Papists  would  have  us  to  believe,  that  supreme  domi- 
nion over  the  whole  church,  clergy  as  well  as  laity,  was 
granted  to  Peter.     However  it  has  a  quite  different  mean- 
ing ;  for  Peter,   by  his  late  cowardice  and  perfidy,  having 
as  it  were  abdicated  the  apostleship,  was  hereby  no  more 
than  formally  restored  to  his  office,  through  the  indulgence 
of  his  kind  and  merciful  Master. 

And  now  the  time  approached  when  Jesus  was  to  shew 
himself  publicly  in  Galilee.  This  was  the  most  remark- 
able of  all  his  appearances.  He  promised  it  to  the  apos- 
tles before  his  death,  f  The  angels  who  attended  at  his 
resurrection  spake  of  it  to  the  women  who  came  to  the 
sepulchre,  and  represented  it  as  promised  to  them  also.| 


•  Sbeep.  John  xxi.  16.        f  Death,  Matt,  xxvi  32.        |  Also.  Mark  xvi.  7. 


436  A  Complete  ITistory 

Nay,    Jesus  himself,    after  his  resurrection,    desired  the 
comjJany   of  women  to  tell  his  brethren  to  go  into  Ga- 
lilee, where  they  should  see  him ;  as  if  the  appearances 
he  was  to  make  that  day,  and  on  the  eighth  day  there- 
after, w^ere  of  small  importance   in  comparison.     More- 
over, the  place  where  he  was  to  appear  in  Galilee  was 
mentioned  by  him.*     Whether  there  were  more  present 
at  this  appearance  than   the    eleven,  the  evangelist  does 
not  say  ;  nevertheless,  the  circumstances  of  the  case  di- 
rect us  to  believe  that  it  had  many  witnesses.     This  ap- 
pearance was  known  before-hand ;  the  place  where  it  was 
to  happen  was  pointed  out  by  Jesus  himself.     The  report 
therefore  of  his  being  to  appear  must  have  si^read  abroad, 
and   brought  many  to  the   place  at  the  appointed  time. 
In  short,  it  is  reasonable  to  think  that  most  of  the  disci- 
ples now  enjoyed  the  happiness  of  beholding  persor.ally 
their  Master  raised  from  the  dead.     What  confi'^ms  this 
supposition  is,  that  St.  Paul  says  expressly,  Jesus,  after 
his  resurrection,  was  seen  of  above  live  hundred  brethren 
at  one  time.     "  After  that,    he  was  seen  of  above  five 
hundred  brethren  at  once  ;  of  whom  the  greater  part  re- 
main unto  this  present,  but  some  are  fallen  asleep. "f    For 
the  number  of  the  witnesses  mentioned  by  St.  Paul  agrees 
better    to  the   appearance   on   the    mountain   in    Galilee 
described   by  Matthew,  than  to  any  other.     Galilee  hav- 
ing  been   the  principal  scene  of  Christ's  ministry, J  the 
greatest  part  of  his  followers  lived  there  ;  for  which  rea- 
son he  chose  to  make  what  may  be  called  his  most  so- 
lemn and   public  appearance  after  his  resurrection,  on  a 
mountain  in  that  country  ;  an  appearance  to  which  a  ge- 


•  Him.  So  Matthew  informs  us,  xxviii.  16.  "  Then  the  eleven  disciples 
■went  away  into  Galilee,  into  a  mountain  where  Jesus  had  appointed  them." 

-j-  Asleep.     1  Cor.  xv.  6. 

\  Ministry.  The  greatest  part  of  his  followers  lived  there.  To  this  agrees  the 
particular,  mentioned  Acts  i.  15,  namely,  that  the  number  of  the  disciples  met  at 
Jerusalem  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  about  a  week  after  our  Lord's  ascension,  were 
only  one  hundred  and  twenty.  In  Jerusalem  and  the  countr}'  about  he  had  fe'vjr 
followers,  his  disciples  being  mostly  Galileans. 


of  the  Ilohj  Bible.  437 

ncral  meeting  of  all   his  disciples  was    summoned,  not 
onlv  by  the  an^^cls  who  attended  his  resurrection,  but  by 
our  Lord  himself  the  very  day  on  which  he  arose.     Pro- 
bably at  this   appearance  the  apostles  received  orders  to 
return  to   Jerusalem.*     Besides,    lie  ascended   from  the 
mount  of  Olives,  as  we  shall  see  immediately.     Where- 
fore, if  the  orders  for  the  apostles  to  repair  to  Jerusalem 
were  not  given  at  this  appearance,  Jesus  must  have  shew- 
ed himself  again,  which  indeed  is  not  impossible  ;  as  it  is 
evident  from  1  Cor.  xv.  7,  that  he  shewed  himself  some- 
where to  the  apostle  James  alone,    though  none  of  the 
evangelists  have  given  the  least  hint  of  that  appearance.  Af- 
ter tiiat  (viz.  his  appearance  to  the  five  hundred  brethren) 
he  was  seen   of  James.     In   the   college  of  the   apostles 
there  were  two  persons  of  this  name  :   one  the  brother  of 
John,  who  was  killed  by  Herod,  another  the  brother  or 
cousin  of  Jesus.     Perhaps  it  was  to  James  the  brother  of 
John  that  our  Lord  appeared  after  his  resurrection.     His 
being  to  sufter  martyrdom  so  early,  might  make  this  spe- 
cial favour  necessary. 

Thus  Jesus  *'  shewed  himself  alive  (to  the  apostles 
whom  he  had  chosen,  and  to  his  other  disciples)  after 
his  passion,  by  many  infallible  proofs,  being  seen  of 
them  forty  days,  and  speaking  of  the  things  pertaining  to 
the  kingdom  of  God.'^f  It  seems  he  continued  on  earth 
forty  days  after  he  arose,  and  in  the  several  interviews 
which  he  had  with  his  disciples  during  that  period,  he 
gave  them  many  infallible  proofs  of  his  resurrection,  and 
discoursed  to  them  concerning  the  new  dispensation  of  re- 
ligion which  he  was  going  to  erect  in  the  world  by  their 
ministry  ;  and  so  having  accomplished  all  the  purposes  of 
his  coming,  nothing  remained  but  that  he  should  ascend 
into  heaven  in  the  presence  of  his  apostles.  These  men 
were  now  gone  up  to  Jerusalem  to  prepare  themselves  for 
the   feast  of  Pentecost.     Thither  Jesus  went,  ttnd  shewed 


•  yentsakm.     For  from   Acts  i.  3 — 12,  compared  with  Luke  xxiv.  50,  k  is  . 
plain  that  our  Lord's  discourses,  before  his  ascension,  related  Markxvi.  15,  and 
Luke  xxiv.  44,  were  delivered  in  or  near  to  the  city. 

t  God.  Acts  i.  3. 


438  A  Complete  History 

himself  to  them  for  the  last  time.  And  because  they  were 
still  in  deep  dejection  on  account  of  the  afflictions  of  his 
life  and  the  ignominy  of  his  death,  he  on  this  memorable 
occasion  introduced  that  subject ;  putting  them  in  mind, 
that  during  his  abode  with  them  in  Galilee,  he  had  often 
told  them  that  all  the  things  written  in  the  law,  the  pro- 
phets, and  Psalms,  concerning  him,  were  to  be  fulfilled. 
By  the  operation  of  his  Spirit  he  removed  their  prejudi- 
ces, cleared  their  doubts,  enlarged  their  memories, 
strengthened  their  judgments,  and  enabled  them  to  discern 
the  true  meaning  of  the  Scriptures.  Having  thus  qualifi- 
ed them  for  receiving  the  truth,  he  assured  them  that 
Moses  and  the  prophets  had  foretold  the  Messiah  was  to 
suffer  in  the  very  manner  he  had  suffered  ;  that  he  was  to 
rise  from  the  dead  on  the  third  day  as  he  had  done  ;  that 
repentance  and  remission  of  sins  were  to  be  preached  in 
his  name  among  all  nations,  beginning  with  the  Jews,  and 
that  the  first  offers  of  these  blessings  were  to  be  made  to 
such  of  them  as  dwelt  in  Jerusalem.  Then  he  told  them, 
that  in  him  they  had  beheld  the  exact  accomplishment  of 
all  the  prophecies  concerning  the  sufferings  and  resurrec- 
tion of  the  Messiah,  and  that  they  were  cJriosen  by  God  as 
the  witnesses  of  these  things,  in  order  that  they  might  cer- 
tify tliem  to  the  world.  Withal,  to  fit  them  for  this  great 
and  important  work,  he  told  them  he  would  send  upon 
them  miraculous  gifts  of  the  Spirit,  which  he  called  "  the 
promise  of  the  Father,"  because  God  had  promised  them 
Dy  the  prophets.  At  the  same  time  he  commanded  them 
not  to  depart  fi-om  Jerusalem  till  they  had  received  those 
gifts. 

Having  thus  spoken,  he  led  theoi  out  of  the  town  to 
the  mount  of  Olives ;  and  being  come  to  that  part  of 
the  mountain  which  was  above  Bethany,  the  apostles, 
whose  minds  were  still  full  of  a  temporal  monarchy, 
asked  him  if  he  would  now  restore  the  kingdom  to  Is- 
rael. His  answer  was,  "It  is  not  for  you  to  know  the 
times  or  the  seasons,  which  the  Father  hath  put  in  his 
own  power:"  it  will  not  be  of  any  use  to  you  in  your 
work,  to  know  the  times  or  the  seasons  of  the  restoration 
of  the  kingdom  to  Israel.  Besides,  this  is  one  of  the 
things  which  the  Father  has  thought  fit  to  conceal  from 


of  the  Holy  Bilk.  A^9 

mortals  in  the  abyss  of  his  own  omniscience.  This  only 
is  of  imiwrtance  to  you  to  know,  that  you  shall  receive 
miraculous  powers  after  that  the  Holy  Ghost  is  come 
upon  you  ;  and  that  by  these  powers  you  shall  bear  \\  it- 
ncss  unto  me  with  great  success,  not  only  in  Jerusalem, 
and  in  all  Judea,  and  in  Samaria,  but  to  the  uttermost 
parts  of  the  earth.  Moreover  he  told  them,  that  he  was 
now  raised  to  the  government  of  heaven  and  earth ;  for 
which  reason  they  might  go  courageously  through  the 
"whole  world,  and  preach  the  gospel  to  ever}'  reasonable 
ci"eature,  well  assured,  that  affairs  in  all  countries  should 
be  so  ordered  as  to  dispose  the  iijhabitants  for  the  recep- 
tion of  the  gospel.  "  AH  power  is  given  me  in  heaven  and 
m  earth.  Go  ye  therefore,  and  teach  all  nations,  (Mark, 
xvi.  15,  Preach  the  gospel  to  every  creature)."  Withal, 
those  who  believed  in  consequence  of  their  preaching, 
he  appointed  to  be  received  into  his  church  by  the  rite 
of  baptism,  and  be  taught  to  obey  all  the  precepts  he 
had  enjoined  them  :  *'  Baptizing  them  in  the  name  of  the 
Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Teaching 
them  to  observe  all  things  whatsoever  I  liave  con\manded 
you."*  Such  baptized  believers,  he  assured  them, 
should  receive  the  pardon  of  their  sins,  together  with 
eternal  life  ;  but  those  who  did  not  believe  and  obey  the 
gospel  when  preached  to  them,  should  be  damned. f 
And  to  encourage  them  in  the  great  and  difiicult  work 
which  he  now  assigned  to  them,  he  promised  that  while 
they  were  employed  in  it,  he  would  be  with  them  and 
their  successors  in  the  ministry  to  the  end  of  the  world, 
to  guide  them  by  his  coimsel,  to  assist  them  b}"^  his  Spi- 
rit, and  to  protect  them  by  his  providence.  Finally,  that 
those  who  through  their  preaching  were  induced  to  be- 
lieve, should  themselves  work  most  astonishing  mira- 
cles ;  a  circumstance  which  should  contribute  greatly  to- 
wards the  spreading  of  the  gospel.  When  he  had  spoken 
these  things,  he  lift  up  his  hands  and  blessed  them,  and 
in  the  action  of  blessing  them,  he  ^vas  parted  from  them 
in  open  day-light,  perhaps  about  mid-day,  a  bright  cloud 


Yon.    Matt,  xxviii.  18.  f  Hanvied.    Mark  xvi.  16. 


440  ^  Cvmplete  History 

receiving  him  out  of  their  sight,  that  is,  covering  him 
about,  and  carrying  him  into  heaven,  not  suddenly,  but 
at  leisure,  that  they  might  behold  him  departing,  and 
see  the  proof  of  his  having  come  down  from  heaven, 
which  he  had  promised  them.  "  And  while  they  looked 
stedfastiy  toward  heaven,  as  he  went  up,  behold  two  men 
stood  by  them  in  white  apparel :"  two  angels  stood  by 
them,  who,  though  they  had  assumed  the  form  and  garb 
of  men,  were,  by  the  majesty  and  splendor  of  their  ap- 
pearance, known  of  the  apostles  to  be  angels.  For  as 
Christ's  resurrection  had  been  honoured  with  the  appear- 
ance of  angels,  it  was  natural  to  think  that  his  ascension 
into  heaven  would  be  so  likewise.  Which  also  said, 
"  Ye  men  of  Galilee,  why  stand  ye  gazing  up  into  hea- 
ven ?"  (It  seem^s  they  looked  up  stedfastiy  after  he  was 
gone  out  of  sight,  expecting,  perhaps,  to  see  him  come 
down  again  im, mediately.)  "  This  same  Jesus  which  is 
taken  up  from  you  into  heaven,  shall  so  come  in  like 
manner  as  ye  have  seen  him  go  into  heaven;"  he  shall 
come  in  the  same  glorious  manner  in  which  you  have 
now  seen  him  ascend.  The  angels  spake  of  his  coming 
to  judge  the  world  at  the  last  day,  a  description  of  which 
Jesus  in  his  life-time  had  given.  It  was  on  this  occasion 
probably,  that  our  Lord's  body  was  changed,*  acquiring 
the  glories  of  immortality,  perhaps  in  the  view  of  the 
disciples,  who  looked  at  their  Master  all  the  time  he  \vas 
mounting.  As  he  ascended  up  into  the  skies,  the  flaming 
cloud  which  surrounded  him,  leaving  a  track  of  light  be- 
hind it,  marked  his  passage  through  the  air,  but  gradu- 
ally lost  its  magnitude  in  the  eyes  of  them  who  stood  be- 
low, till  soaring  high,  he  and  it  vanished  out  of  their 
sight ;  for  he  was  received  up  where  the  Deity  manifests 


*  Changed.  For  flesh  and  blood,  such  as  he  arose  with,  cannot  inherit  the 
kingdom  of  God.  Accordingly  the  body  which  he  now  has,  is  called  a  glo- 
rious body,  and  declared  to  be  of  the  same  nature  with  that  which  the  saints 
shall  have  after  their  resurrection.  Phil.  iii.  21,  "  Who  shall  change  our  vile 
body,  that  it  may  be  fashioned  like  unto  his  glorious  body."  Wherefore,  though 
the  Scripture  is  silent  as  to  the  time  when  this  change  passed  upon  Christ's  body, 
we  must  suppose  'hat  it  happened  either  immediately  before  his  ascension,  or  in 
the  time  of  it,  or  soon  after  it. 


of  the  Holy  Bible.  441 

hitnself  in  a  peculiar  manner.  "  And  sat  on  the  rij^ht 
hand  of  God:"*  that  is,  in  his  human  nature  was  ad- 
vanced in  dignity  next  to  the  Divine  Majesty  ;  all  power 
in  heaven  and  earth  being  given  him.  And  this  univer- 
sal government  lie  will  hold,  till  he  fully  establishes  the 
dominion  of  righteousness,  when  he  will  deliver  up  the 
kingdom  to  God,  even  the  Father,  that  God  may  be  all 
in  all. 

In  this  illustrious  manner  did  the  Saviour  depart,  after 
having  finished  the  grand  work  which  he  came  down  up- 
on earth  to  execute;  a  work  which  God  himself,  in  the 
remotest  eternity,  contemplated  with  pleasure  ;  which  an- 
gels anciently,  and  superior  natures,  with  joy  descried  as 
to  happen,  and  which  through  all  eternity  to  come  shall, 
at  periods  the  most  immensely  distant  from  the  time  of  its 
execution,  be  looked  back  upon  with  inexpressible  de- 
light by  every  inhabitant  of  heaven.  For  though  the  little 
affairs  of  time  may  vanish  altogether  and  be  lost,  when 
they  are  removed  far  back  by  the  endless  progression  of 
duration,  this  object  is  such,  that  no  distance  however 
great  can  lessen  it. 

The  apostles  having  seen  their  Master  ascend  into  hea- 
ven, were  fully  convinced  of  his  having  come  down  thence, 
and  of  his  being  the  Messiah.  This  persuasion  they  tes- 
tified by  paying  him  divine  honours.  "  And  they  wor- 
shipped him."j-  His  ascension,  therefore,  gave  the  apos- 
tles g»eat  joy,  and  the  more  so,  that  in  all  probability 
they  did  not  consider  it  as  their  Master's  final  parting  with 
them.  For  we  may  reasonably  suppose  they  understood 
"what  the  angels  said  unto  them  concerning  his  return,  not 
of  his  return  to  judge  the  world  at  the  last  day,  but  of  his 
return  to  restore  and  take  upon  himself  the  kingdom  of 
Israel,  an  event  which  they  would  expect  to  happen  ^  ery 
soon. 

After  the  apostles  returned  to  the  city,  they  spent  the 
greatest  part  of  their  lime  in  the  temple,  praising  and 
blessing  God,  as  for  all  his  benefits,  so  in  particular  for 


•  God.     Mark  xvi.  19.  f  Him.     Luke  xxiv.  52. 

Vol.  II.  3  K 


4,42  A  Complete  History 

the  resurreciioH  of  their  Master  from  the  dead,  for  his 
glorious  ascension  into  heaven,  and  for  the  promise  that 
was  made  them  concerning  his  return.  The  apostles, 
about  eight  days  after  this,  received  the  Holy  Ghost  accor- 
ding to  their  Master's  promise. 


Thus  endeth  the  history  of  the  life  of  Christ ;  a  life 
the  greatest  and  best  that  ever  was  led  by  man,  or  ever 
was  the  subject  of  any  history.  The  human  character  of 
Jesus,  as  it  results  from  the  accounts  which  the  evange- 
lists .have  given  of  him,  for  they  have  not  formally 
drawn  it,  is  entirely  different  from  that  of  all  other  meu 
whatsoever.  For  whereas  they  have  the  selfish  passions 
deeply  rooted  in  their  breasts,  and  are  influenced  by  them 
in  almost  every  thing  they  do,  Jesus  was  so  entirely  free 
from  them,  that  the  narrowest  scrutiny  cannot  furnish 
one  single  action  in  the  whole  course  of  his  life,  wherein 
he  consulted  his  own  interest  only.     The   happiness   of 

/  others  was  what  he  had  chiefly  at  heart.  And  while  his 
contemporaries  followed,  some  one  kind  of  occupation, 
some  another,  Jesus   had  no  other  business  but  that  of 

/  promoting  the  welfare  of  men.  "  He  went  about  doing 
good."  He  did  not  wait  till  he  was  solicited,  but  sought 
opportunities  of- conferring  benefits  on  such  as  stood  in 
need  of  tliem,  and  always  "  reckoned  it  more  blessed  to 
give  than  to  receive  ;"  in  which  respect  he  differ^rl  ex- 
ceedingly from  the  rest  of  mankiixl,  and  was  much  more 

'  like  to  God  than  to  man.  In  the  next  place,  whereas  it 
is  common  even  for  persons  of  the  most  exalted  faculties, 
on  the  one  hand  to  be  elated  with  success  and  applause, 
and  on  the  other  to  be  dejected  with  great  disappoint- 
ments, it  was  not  so  with  Jesus.  He  M'as  never  more 
courageous  than  when  he  met  with  the  greatest  opposi- 

.  tion  and  the  worst  treatment,  nor  more  hunable  than 
when  men  fell  down  and  worshipped  him.  He  came  into 
the  world  inspired  with  the  grandest  purpose  that  ever 
was  formed,  even  that  of  saving,  not  a  single  nation,  but 

,  THE  WHOLE  WORLD  ;   and  in  the  execution  of  it  went 

-  through  the  longest  and  heaviest  train  of  labours  that 
ever  was  sustained  ;  and  that  with  a  constancy  of  resolu- 


of  the  Holy  B'tUe,  443 

lion,  on  wliich  no  disadvantageous  impression  could  be 
made  by  any  accident  whatsoever.  Calumny,  thitaten- 
ings,  opposition,  bad  success,  with  the  other  evils  be- 
lalHng  him,  served  only  to  quicken  his  endeavours  in 
this  glorious  enterprise,  which  he  pursued  unweariedly 
till^  he  finished  it  by  his  death.  In  the  third  place, 
Avhereas  most  men  are  prone  to  retaliate  the  injuries  that 
are  done  them,  and  all  seem  to  take  a  satisfaction  in 
complaining  of  the  cruelties  of  those  who  oppress  them, 
the  whole  of  Christ's  behaviour  breathed  nothing  but 
meekness,  patience,  and  forgiveness  even  to  his  bit^. 
terest  enemies,  and  in  the  midst  of  extreme  sufi'erings. 
The  words,  "Father,  forgive  them,  for  they  know  not 
what  they  do,"  uttered  by  him  \\hen  his  enemies  were 
nailing  him  to  the  cross,  fitly  expressed  the  temjier  wliich 
he  maintained  through  the  course  of  his  life,  even  when 
assaulted  with  the  heaviest  provocations.  The  truth  is, 
on  no  occasion  did  he  ever  signify  the  least  resentment  by 
speech  or  by  action,  nor  indeed  any  emotion  of  mind 
whatever,  except  such  as  flowed  from  pity  and  charity^ 
consequently  such  only  as  expressed  the  deepest  concern 
for  the  welfare  of  mankind.  To  conclude,  the  greatest 
and  best  men  have  had  failings  which  darken  the  lustre 
of  their  virtues,  and  shew  them  to  have  been  men.  This 
was  the  case  with  Noah,  Abraham,  Moses,  Job,  Solomon, 
Paul,  and  the  other  heroes  celebrated  in  history.  The 
same  thing  may  be  said  of  all  the  greatest  geniuses  in  the 
heathen  world,  who  undertook  to  instruct  and  reform 
mankind ;  for,  omitting  the  narrowness  of  their  know- 
ledge, and  the  obscurity  with  which  they  spake  upon  the 
most  important  subjects,  there  was  not  one  of  them  who 
did  not  fall  into  some  gross  error  or  other,  which  disho- 
noured his  character  as  a  teacher.  The  accounts  we  have 
in  history  of  the  most  renowned  sages  of  antiquity,  and 
the  writings  of  the  philosophers  still  remaining,  are 
proofs  of  this.  It  was  otherwise  with  Jesus  in  every  re- 
spect. For  he  was  superior  to  all  the  men  that  ever 
lived,  both  in  the  sublimity  of  his  doctrine,  in  the  pu- 
rity of  his  manners,  and  in  the  perfection  of  his  virtues. 
He  "  was  holy,  harmless,  unidefiled,  and  separate  from 
sinners."     Whether  you  consider  hiui  as  a  teacher  or  a 


444  A  Complete  History 

man,  *'  he  did  no  sin,  neither  was  guile  found  in  his 
I  mouth."  His  whole  Hfe  was  perfectly  free  from  spot  or 
weakness,  at  the  same  time  that  it  was  remarkable  for  the 
greatest  and  most  extensive  exercises  of  virtue.  But  ne- 
ver to  have  committed  the  least  sin  in  word  or  in  deed, 
never  to  have  uttered  any  sentiment  that  could  be  found 
fault  with,  upon  the  various  topics  of  religion  and  mo- 
rality which  were  the  daily  subjects  of  his  discourse,  and 
that  through  the  course  of  a  life  filled  with  action,  and 
led  under  the  observation  of  many  enemies,  who  had  al- 
ways access  to  converse  with  him,  and  who  often  came  to 
find  fault,  is  a  pitch  of  perfection  plainly  above  the  reach 
of  humanity  ;  and  therefore  he  who  possessed  it  must  cer- 
/  tainly  have  been  divine.  Accordingly,  the  evidence  of 
this  proof  being  undeniable,  both  as  an  argument  and  as 
a  matter  of  fact,  Jesus  himself  publicly  appealed  to  it,  be- 
fore all  the  people  in  the  temple.  "  Which  of  you  con- 
vinceth  (or  rather  convicteth)  me  of  sin?"  And  if  in 
affirming  that  I  am  perfectly  free  from  sin,  "  I  say  the 
truth,  why  do  ye  not  believe  me  ?" 

Such  was  the  person  who  is  the  subject  of  the  evange- 
lical history.  If  the  reader,  by  viewing  his  life,  doctrine, 
and  miracles,  as  they  are  presented  to  him  united  in  one 
series,  has  obtained  a  clearer  notion  of  these  things  than 
before,  or  discerns  a  beauty  in  his  actions  thus  linked  to- 
gether, which  taken  separately  does  not  so  fully  appear  ; 
if  he  feels  himself  touched  Vv^ith  the  character  of  Jesus  in 
general,  or  with  any  of  his  sermons  and  actions  in  parti- 
cular, thus  simply  delineated  in  writings  whose  principal 
charms  are  the  beauties  of  truth  ;  above  all,  if  his  dying 
so  generously  for  men  strikes  him  with  admiration,  or 
fills  him  with  joy,  in  the  prospect  of  that  pardon  which  is 
thereby  purchased  for  the  world — let  him  seriously  consi- 
der with  himself  what  improven:ient  he  ought  to  make  of 
the  divine  goodness. 

Jesus,  by  his  death,  has  set  open  the  gates  of  immor- 
tality to  men,  and  by  his  word,  Spirit,  and  example,  gra- 
ciouslv  offers  to  make  them  meet  for,  and  conduct  them 
into  the  inheritance  of  the  saints  in  light.  Wherefore,  be- 
ing born  under  the  dispensation  of  his  gospel,  we  have, 
from  our  earliest  years,  enjoyed  the  best  means  of  acquiring 


of  the  Uohj  Bible.  445 

wisdom,  virtue,  and  happiness,  and  the  lineaments  of  the 
image  of  God.  We  have  been  called  to  aspire  after  an 
exaltation  to  the  nature  and  felicity  of  God,  set  before  mor- 
tal eyes  in  Jesus  Christ,  to  fire  us  with  the  noblest  ambi- 
tion. His  Gospel  teaches  us  that  we  are  made  for  eternity, 
and  that  our  present  life  is  to  our  after-existence,  what 
childhood  is  to  man's  estate.  But  as  in  childhood  many 
things  are  to  be  learned,  many  hardships  to  be  endured, 
many  habits  to  be  acquired,  and  that  by  a  tedious  course 
of  exercises,  which  in  themselves  though  painful,  and  it 
may  be  useless  to  the  child,  yet  are  necessary  to  fit  him 
for  the  business  and  enjoyments  of  manhood  :  just  so, 
while  we  remain  in  this  infancy  of  human  life,  things  are 
to  be  learned,  hardships  to  be  endured,  and  habits  to  be  ac- 
quired, by  a  laborious  course  of  discipline,  which,  how- 
ever painful,  must  cheerfully  be  undergone,  because  ne- 
cessary to  .fit  us  for  the  employments  and  pleasures  of  our 
riper  existence  above.  Our  Heavenly  Father,  ever  mind- 
ful of  us,  has  sent  down  Jesus,  the  express  image  of  his 
own  person,  to  initiate  us  into,  and  carry  us  through  this 
course  of  education  for  eternity.  Inflamed  therefore  with 
the  love  of  immortality  and  its  joys.  Let  us  submit  our- 
selves to  our  heavenly  Teacher,  and  learn  of  him  those 
graces  \^'hich  alone  can  make  life  pleasant,  death  desirable, 
and  fill  eternity  with  ecstatic  joys. 

fc^/^"  TJ^ese  reflections,  together  viith  a  part  of  tie  preceding  account  of  our  LorcPs 
sufferings  and  death,  are  extracted  from  Dr.  Macknight's  Harmony  of  the  Gospels  ,- 
as  it  appeared  to  the  editor  to  afford  a  more  full  ajui  circumstantial  detail  of  the  par- 
ticulars of  those  interesting  events  than  that  vihicb  'was  penned  by  Mr,  Moviell. 


[  446  ] 


THE 


PARABLES    OF    JESUS, 


ARRANGED  IK  CHRONOLOGICAL  ORDER, 

ACCORDING  TO  THE  REV.  T.  SCQTT, 


\^r  the  Sower, Capernaum. 

. ,  I   ■  I     I   Tares Capernaum. 

— — —  Seed  springing  up  impercep" 

tibly, Capernaum. 

Of  the      Grain  of  mustard  seed,     .     .  Capernaum. 

<  Leaven, Capernaum. 

— — — —  Foimd  treasure,      ....  Capernaum, 

—————  Precious  pearl Capernaum. 

— — Gospel  net, Capernaum. 

■■  Two  debtors, Capernaum. 

— — —  Unmerciful  servant,     .     .     .  Capemaiun. 

■ Good  Samaritan,    ....  Near  Jericho. 

'         Rich  fool, Galilee. 

■         Servants  who  waited  for  their 

lord, Galilee. 

Of  the      Barren  fig-tree, Galilee. 

■ —Lost sheep,    .     .     .     .     .     .  Galilee. 

—     ■         Lost  piece  of  money,    .     .     .  Galilee. 

.  r  Prodigal  son, Galilee. 

..  Dishonest  steward,      .     .     .  Galilee, 

.  Rich  man  and  Lazarus,    .     .  Galilee. 

. Unjust  judge, Perjea. 

, Pharisee  and  publican,       .     .  Peraca. 

,.        Labourers  in  the  vineyard,    .  Perxa. 

— : Pounds Jericho. 

Two  sons, Jerusalem. 

— — —  Vineyard, Jerusalem. 

L  Marriage  feast,      ....  Jerusalem. 

■  Ten  virgins, Jerusalem. 

L  Talents, Jerusalem. 

— — —  Sheep  and  the  goats,   .    .    .  Jerusalem. 


Matt.  13,  1....23 
Matt.l3,24....30, 
36....43 

Mark  4,  26„..29 
Matt.  13,  31,  32 
Matt.  13,  33 
Matt.  13,  44 
Matt.  13,  45, 46 
Matt.  13,  47.. ..50 
Luke  7,  36,...50 
Matt.  18,  23....35 
Luke  10,  25... .37 
Luke  12, 16....21 

Luke  12, 35....48 
Luke  13,  6....9 
Luke  15,  3....7 
Luke  15,  8....10 
Luke  15, 11,...32 
Luke  16, 1....12 
Luke  16,  19.... 31 
Luke  la,  1....8 
Luke  18,  9....14 
Matt.  20, 1....16 
Luke  19,  12... .27 
Matt.  21,  28,  32 
Matt.  21,  33.., .46 
Matt.22, 1....14 
Matt.  25,  1....13 
Matt.  25,  14.. ..30 
Matt.  25, 81. ...46, 


[     U7     ] 


THE 

DISCOURSES    OF   JESUS, 

ARRANGED  IH  CHRONOLOGICAL  ORDER, 

ACCORDING  TO  THE  REV.  T.  SCOTT. 

^CONVERSATION  with  Nicodemus,  at  Jerusalem.      John  3,  l^,... 21 

Conversation  with  the  woman  of  Sa- 
maria,       Sychar.           John4. 1....42 

Discourse  in  the  synagogue  of  Naza- 
reth,      Nazareth.       Lake  4, 16... .31 

Sermon  upon  the  Mount,     ....  Nazareth.        Matt.  v....vii 

Instructions  to  the  Apostles,     .     .     .  Galilee.            Matt,  x 

Denunciations  against  Chorazin,  &c.  Galilee.           ^lait.  11. 20....24 

Discourse  on  occasion  of  htallng  the 

infirm  man  at  Bethesda,    ....  Jerusalem.      John  v. 

Discourse    concerning   the    disciples 

pluckingearsofcomon  the  Sabbath,  Judxa.             Matt.  12, 1.. ..8 

Refutation  of  his  working  miracles  by 

the  agencyjjf  Beelzebub,     .      .     .  Capemaum.    Matt.  12,22....3/' 

Discourse  on  the  bread  of  life,      .     .  Capernaum.     John  vi. 

Discourse  about  internal  purity,    .     .  Capernaum.     Matt.  IS,  1....20 

Discourse  against  giving  or  taking  of- 
fence,  and  concerning  forgiveness 

of  injuries, Capemaum.     Matt.  >vili. 

Discourse  at  the  feast  of  tabernacles,  Jerusalem.       John  vii. 

Discourse  on  occasion  of  the  woman 

taken  in  adultery, Jerusalern.       John  8,  l..,.ll 

Discourse  concerning  the  sheep,    .     .  Jerusalem.      John  x. 

Denunciations  against  the  Scribes  and 

Pharisees Penca.            Luke  11,  29.. ..36 

Discourse   concerning  humility    and 

prudence, Galilee.           Luke  14, 7.. ..14 

Directions  how  to  attain  heavsn,  .     .  '  Persea.             Matt.  19, 16 30 

Discourse  concerning  his  sufferings,  .  Jerusalem.       Matt.  20, 17....19 

Denunciations  against  the  Pharisees,  Jerusalem.       Matt,  xxiii. 

Prediction  of  the  destruction  of  Jeru- 
salem,         Jerusalem.       Matt.  xxiv. 

The  consolatory  discours*,  ....  Jerusalem.       John  xiv....xvii. 

Discourse  as  he  went  to  Gethsemane,  Jetusalera.      Matt.  26, 31.. ..36 

Discourse  to  the  disciples  before  his 

ascension, Jerusalem.      Matt.  28, 16,... 20 


COMPLETE 

HISTORY 


OF  THE 


miv  i^ilJle. 


BOOK  THE  TENTH. 


The  History  of  the  first  Planting  of  Christianity^  taken 
from  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles. 


W, 


HEN  it  pleased  God  to  visit  the  world  with  the  light 
of  the  glorious  gospel,  the  nations  in  general  were  sunk  in- 
to an  amazing  degree  of  vice  and  wickedness ;  and  that 
which  contributed  greatly  to  this  was  their  profound  ig- 
norance of  the  true  God,  and  their  stupid  and  abominable 
idolatries. 

•The  nation  of  Israel  also,  which  retained  the  most  just 
notions  of  the  Deity,  and  had  a  standing  revelation  of 
his  will,  were  fallen  into  great  corruptions,  relying 
chiefly  on  their  descent  from  pious  ancestors,  and  upon 
their  observation  of  religious  ceremonies,  while  the 
spirit  and  design  of  the  law  were  lost  sight  of,  and  the 
scriptures  rendered  of  little  effect  by  their  vain  tradi- 
tions. 

The   heathen  sages   and  philosophers  had  in  vain  at- 
tempted  universal  reformation.     The  priests  and  poets 


of  the  Ilobj  lUUc.  449 

rather  corrupted  tbrin  reformed  their  religion.  And  the 
Jewish  doctors  hud,  by  their  false  glosses,  obscured  the 
light  of  revelation,  and  taken  away  the  key  of  know- 
ledge from  the  people.  And  notwithstanding  that  all 
the  ancient  prophets  had  testified  concerning  the  Mes- 
siah, the  very  things  which  their  eyes  beheld  in  the  per- 
son and  character  of  Jesus  Christ,  they  rejected  him  with 
disdain  and  embrucd  their  hands  in  his  blood.  They  had 
nearly  filled  up  the  measure  of  their  iniquities,  and  were 
soon  to  be  dispersed  among  all  the  nations  of  the  earth. 

This  then  was  the  season  which  Divine  wisdom  chose 
for  the  diffusion  of  the  truth,  the  circumstances  of  which 
are  detailed  in  the  following  Book. 

This  history  indeed,  as  written  by  St.  Luke,  does  not 
extend  to  the  journies  and  actions  of  all  the  apostles,  but 
records  chiefly  those  of  St,  Peter  and  St.  Paul,  and  does 
not  profess  to  relate  the  planting  of  Christianity  in  other 
parts  of  the  world  which  were  visited  by  the  other  apos- 
tles, who,  no  doubt,  extended  their  evangelical  labours 
to  very  distant  provinces.  The  Acts  chiefly  inform  us 
what  was  done  in  Judea  and  Samaria  among  the  Jews  re- 
sident there,  and  in  other  cities  of  Syria,  Asia,  Sec.  among 
the  Jews  in  their  dispersions.  It  affords  us  also  a  delight- 
ful specimen  of  the  extension  of  the  gospel  to  the  Gentiles  ; 
first  to  some  single  families,  as  to  that  of  Cornelius  ;  and, 
after  the  Jews  had  discovered  their  obstinate  resolution  to 
oppose  the  apostles,  especially  because  of  their  preaching 
to  the  Gentiles,  then  to  whole  cities  and  countries,  pro- 
fessedly "  departing  to  the  Gentiles,"  among  whom  they 
were  assured  of  obtaining  greater  success  than  they  had 
found  among  the  Jews. 

We  shall  therefore  find,  in  pursuing  this  part  of  the 
Sacred  History,  first,  an  account  of  the  eft'usion  of  the 
Holy  Spicit  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  whereby  the  apos- 
tles were  perfectly  qualified  to  evangelize  the  nations ; 
immediately  after  which  we  have  an  account  of  the  con- 
version of  several  thousands  of  the  Jews.  In  this  part  of 
the  u'ork,  St.  Peter  was  evidently  the  leading  man  ;  and 
though  the  other  apostles  were  no  doubt  active  and  labo- 
rious, yet  little  is  said  of  them ;   because,   in  telling  us 

Vol.  II.  3  L 


450  .i  Complete  Historr/ 

what  St.  Peter  said  and  did,   we  have  a  sufficient  specimen 
of  the  preaching  and  actions  of  the  whole  body. 

The  next  }>eriud  of  this  history  relates  to  the  convcr- 
sio!i  of  the  "  devout  Gentiles,"  who  were  probably 
"  Proselytes  of  the  gate;"  and  here  also  St.  Peter  was 
honoured  to  lead  the  way,  as  in  the  conversion  of  Cor- 
nelius  and  his  company.  But  after  the  sacred  historian 
has  informed  us  that  believers  were  admitted  into  the 
Christian  church  without  being  first  circumcised;  and  that, 
after  St.  Peter  had  led  the  way,  other  Christians  imitated 
his  cxamj '.«.%  and  made  numerous  converts  among  the 
Gentiles  al;->o,  then  the  history  of  St.  Peter  is  naturally 
dropped,  because  it  docs  not  appear  that  he  ever  preached 
to  the  idolatrous  heathen. 

As  therefore,  the  third  grand  period  contains  a  brief  ac- 
count of  the  conversion  of  idolatrous  Gentiles,  in  which 
St,  Paul  appears  as  eminent  an  instrument,  as  St.  Peter 
had  been  among  the  Jews,  the  history  of  that  great  apostle 
of  the  Gentiles  is  pursued,  w  hose  convert,  very  probably, 
St.  Luke  was,  and  certainly  his  fellow-labourer  in  the 
great  undertaking,  and  concerned  in  many  of  the  transac- 
tions which  he  himself  has  recorded. 

As  the  greater  part  of  the  world  consisted  of  idolatrous 
heathen,  and  the  greatest  number  of  Christians,  ever  since 
that  time  have  been  of  that  description,  this  part  of  the 
history  was  vt.'ry  properly  most  enlarged  upon  ;  for  the 
doctrine  which  is  suited  to  their  circumstances,  is  of  the 
greatest  and  most  extensive  advantage. 

But,^  afier  we  have  a  full  account  of  the  great  numbers 
of  the  Gentiles  being  converted  from  heathenism  and  re- 
ceived into  the  professing  church,  without  submitting  to 
the  law  of  Moses ;  together  with  the  general  behaviour  of 
the  Jews  on  that  occasion  ;  and  a  sufficient  specimen  gi- 
ven of  the  doctrines  preached,  and  their  powerful  ef- 
J'ects  on  men's  hearts,  as  also  of  the  persecutions  of  St. 
Paul  and  his  companions,  St.  Luke  closes  Ins  history, 
though  it  appears  that  he  himself  accompanied  St.  Paul 
long  after,  and  could  probably  have  brought  dow  n  the  his- 
tory to  the  martyrdom  of  that  great  apostle. 

That  St.  Luke  was  the  author  of  the  book  called  the 
Acts  of  the  ■A])ostlts,  is   sufficiently   evident.     It  com- 


ofthcllohj  Bibie.  451 

jiiCMCCS  tlms  :  "  The  former  TrcaUsc  T  have  inndc,  () 
Thcophilus,  of  all  tb.inj^s  that  Jesus  Ixj^aii  to  do,  and  to 
teach,"  Sec.  This  ''  Ibrnicr  treatise"  is  undoubtedly  the 
n;ospel  which  was  written  by  St.  Luke,  and  dedicated  by 
iiini  to  Tfieophiius  ;  and  that  the  "  Acts"  was  written  by 
the  same  person  is  allowed  by  all  antiquity.  St.  Paul 
calls  him  "  the  beloved  physician,".  (Col.  iv.  14,)  and 
speaks  of  him  as  "  his  fellow-labourer,"  (Philem.  v.  24.) 
He  appears  to  have  been  with  him  at  Rome,  when  he 
wrote  his  Epistles  to  the  Colossians  and  to  Philemon  ; 
and  when  he  wrote  his  second  Ejnsile  to  Timothy,  (2 
Tim.  iv.  11,)  and  so  continued  an  associate  with  the  apos- 
tle in  several  of  his  journies,  and  in  his  dangerous  voyage 
to  Rome. 

Dr.  Benson,  in  his  appendix  to  liis  "  History  of  the 
Plantation  of  Christianity,"  has  cited  a  number  of  pas- 
sages from  Iren^eus,  Tertnllian,  Clement,  Origen,  Eusc- 
bius,  &c.  which  prove  the  genuineness  of  this  book,  and 
ascribe  it  to  the  pen  of  St.  Luke.  Mr.  Briscoe,  at  Boyle''s 
Lecture,  has  also  shewn  in  a  convincing  manner,  how  ca- 
pable these  early  w  riters  were  of  judging  in  this  matter, 
and  how  universally  it  was  admitted  by  Christians  of  the 
first  ages  as  a  sacred  book.  How  incontestibly  it  demon- 
strates, the  Truth  of  Christianity^  will  appear  to  every  at- 
tentive and  unprejudiced  reader. 

This  history  affords  a  strong  confirmation  of  the  truths 
contained  in  the  Gospels.  The  promises  there  recorded, 
are  here  accomplished,  particularly  the  great  promise  of 
the  Holy  Spirit.  The  commission  m  hich  was  granted  to 
the  apostles  is  here  executed,  and  the  po\vers  with  which 
they  were  invested  is  exerted  in  numerous  miracles.  The 
proofs  of  Christ's  resurrection,  with  which  the  Gospels 
concluded,  are  in  this  history  abundantly  corroborated, 
not  only  by  the  undaunted  testimony  of  those  who  con- 
versed with  him  after  he  rose,  but  by  the  supernatural 
operations  of  the  Holy  Spirit  with  that  testimony,  for  the 
conversion  of  multitudes  to  the  faith  of  Christ. 

Our  Saviour  had  assured  them  that  they  should  be 
"  Witnesses"  for  him,  and  here  we  find  them  continually 
bearing  W'itness  to  their  Divine  Master.  They  were  as- 
-.siired  that  thcv  should  become  "  Fishers  of  Men  ;"  and 


452  A  Complete  Bistort/ 

here  we  perceive  them  inclosing  multitudes  in  the  gospel- 
net  ;  they  were  to  be  made  "  Lights  of  the  world  ;"  accor- 
dingly we  find  whole  nations  enliglitened  l)v  them.  Our 
Lord  had  honestly  informed  them  that  they  would  meet  with 
bitter  persecution  in  their  worl^  ;  here  we  find  his  predic- 
tions punctually  accomplished.  Thus  the  latter  part  of 
the  Sacred  History  exactly  accords  with  the  word  of  Christ 
in  the  former  ;  and  thus  they  mutually  illustrate  and  con- 
firm each  otlier. 

This  history  is  exceedingly  important  in  another  point 
of  view.  We  are  Christians.  Here  then  we  see  what 
Christianity  is,  and  what  it  requires.  We  clearly  per- 
ceive what  are  the  essential  truths  of  our  holy  religion  in 
what  the  apostles  chiefly  insisted  upon  in  their  ])reaching. 
We  see  also  what  is  the  genuine  effect  of  the  trnth  on  the 
hearts  of  those  who  truly  receive  it  by  faith.  W^e  find  the 
Christian  church  subsisting  in  a  visible  profession  of  Christ 
as  the  Son  of  God  and  the  Saviour  of  the  world,  made  by 
his  baptized  disciples ;  incorporated  into  voluntar}'  religi- 
ous societies,  statedly  meeting  for  the  worship  of  God ; 
attending  diligently  on  the  apostles'  doctrine  ;  uniting  in 
public  prayer,  and  in  the  frequent  reception  of  the  Lord's 
Supper,  under  the  conduct  and  presidency  of  men  devoted 
to  the  ministry  of  the  word,  and  in  a  spiritual  communion 
with  "  all  in  every  place"  who  were  like-minded.  Such 
a  body  has  ever  since  been  preserved  in  the  world,  not- 
witlistanding  the  most  violent  opposition ;  to  this  body 
we  now  belong,  and  are  to  endeavour,  as  far  as  possible, 
to  confortn  ourselves  to  those  rules  which  were  laid 
down  by  inspired  men  of  God  when  this  body  was  first 
formed. 

In  a  word,  we  have  every  inducement,  as  Christians, 
to  study  this  history  with  attention  an'd  delight.  Men  of 
taste  are  naturally  curious  to  trace  the  origin  of  nations, 
tind  mark  how  they  rose  to  refinement,  wealth  and  power  ; 
but  the  history  of  the  church  of  Christ  must  appear  to 
every  Christian  far  more  worthy  of  notice  than  the  rise 
or  fall  of  empires.  "  A  society,  about  which  Providence 
has,  in  ail  ages,  exercised  a  particular  care,  presents  an 
interesting  object  of  inquiry.  Its  history  is  the  history 
of  religion ;    of  the  accomplishment  of  a  long  scries  of 


oftlie  Iluhj  Bible.  453 

prophecies ;  of  the  execution  of  a  scheme,  to  wliich  all 
other  ])aris  of  the  Divine  administration  are  subservient. 
The  history  of  the  first  age  of  the  Christian  church  is 
more  insiructive  and  enga<;ing  than  that  of  any  subse- 
quent period.  It  is  splendid  because  it  is  miraculous  ; 
it  is  edifying,  as  it  records  many  noble  examples  of  faith, 
charity,  patience,  and  zeal ;  and  it  arrests  the  attention 
and  touches  the  heart,  by  displaying  the  triumph  of  the 
gospel  over  the  combined  malice  and  wisdom  of  the 
world." 

The  blessed  Saviour  of  the  world  having  punctually 
accomplished  all  things  predicted  concerning  his  mission 
upon  earth ;  and  having,    in   a  most  solemn  and   affec- 
lionate  manner  taken  leave  of  his  disciples,  visibly  retires 
to  eternal  rest  and  glory,  in  the  heavenly  world.     With 
hearts  full  of  grief  and  admiration,  they  lament  the  loss  of 
the  presence  of  their  beloved  Lord ;  and  follow  him  with 
longing  eyes  till  he  totally  disappeared.     But  while  they 
thus  fondly  looked  up  towards  the  place  where  their  Lord 
was  gone,  his  tender  care  was  immediately  displayed  by 
dispatching  two  of  his  celestial  retinue  with  a  message  of 
consolation.     Behold  two  angels,  adorned  with  the  glo- 
ries of  heaven,  appeared  to  them,  with  this  comfortable 
assurance,  "  Forbear,  O  Galileans,  your  further  admira- 
tion :  your  gracious  Lord,    whom  even  now  you  beheld 
ascending  to  heaven,  shall  one  day  descend  again  to  judge 
the  world  in  as  glorious  a  manner  as  he  now  departed  from 
you.     He  hath  not  absolutely  forsaken  you,  but  is  gone  to 
take  possession  of  that  kingdom  which  he  will  govern  to 
the  end  of  the  world. 

Highly  satisfied  with  this  assurance,  and  the  confirmu 
tion  of  their  hopes,  the  glad  disciples  return  fr(jm  mount 
Olivet  to  Jerusalem  ;  where  the  eleven  apostles,  with  the 
women  who  used  to  attend  on  Christ,  repaired  to  the  tem- 
ple,* spending  their  time  in  a  constant  performance  of  de- 


*  Temple.     The  apostles  met  to  perform  their  devotions  in  an  upper  room  of  the 
temple.  Acts  i.  13.     For  the  temple  had  many  chamber^  or  upper  rooms  in  its  cir- 


454  A  Complete  History 

votions.  And,  about  a  week  after,  when  there  was  a 
large  company,  to  the  number  of  an  hundred  and  t\Aenty, 
assembled  together  for  the  worship  of  God,  Peter  address- 
ed himself  to  the  discijDles  in  the  following  manner  : 

*'  Ye  know  brethren,  what  tlie  royal  prophet*  David 
foretold  concerning  Judas,  Avho  betrayed  our  Lord,  \\  hich 
being  from  the  Spirit  of  God,  must  necessarily  be  ful- 
filled, and  has  accordingly  been  punctually  accomplished 
in  Judas,  who  was  of  our  society,  a  fellow-disciple,  and 
an  apostle  in  designation  as  truly  as  any  of  us.  But  for 
a  sum  of  money  lie  betrayed  his  Master  to  his  enemies ; 
after  which,  being  troubled  for  what  he  had  done,  he  re- 
turned the  money  to  the  priests  (who  durst  not  put  it  into 
the  treasury,  but  bought  a  field  to  bury  strangers  in;) 
and  the  sense  of  this  detestable  action  issuing  in  black  de- 
spair, he  hanged  himself  on  a  tree,  but  falling  down  on 
the  ground,  his  body  burst  and  his  bowels  fell  out.  [This 
fact,  and  the  fate  ofJiidi's,  is  notoriously  known  to  all  the 
inhabitants  of  Jerusalem,  and  thereupon  the  field  that  was 
bought  with  that  money  is  vulgarly  known  by  the  name  of 
the  field  of  blood. f]  To  him  therefore  belongs  that 
which  is  said  by  the  holy  Psaimist>|  not  by  way  of  ex- 
ecration, but  of  prediction,  that  as  he  should  come  to  a 
desperate  and  miserable  end,  so  that  office  which  Christ 
had  given  to  him,  with  the  rest  of  the  twelve,  shall  be 
bestowed  on  another.  It  is  then  our  duty,  according  to 
this  prophecy,  to  make  choice  of  one  of  these  persons 


cult,  which  served  not  only  for  the  use  of  the  priests,  and  for  the  keeping  of  holy 
things,  but  some  of  them  stood  open  for  religious  meetings. 

•  PropbH.     Psalm  xli.  9. 

•\  Blood.  If  the  passage,  inclosed  in  brackets,  [  ]  be  read  as  a  parenthesis, 
it  may  be  considered  as  containing,  not  the  words  of  St.  Peter  in  his  speech,  but 
those  of  St.  I-uke  the  historian  ;  for  indeed  it  is  not  likely  that  the  field  should  have 
been  purchased  so  very  soon  after  the  death  of  Judas  ;  much  less  that  this  fact  was 
then  known  to  all  the  inhabitantsof  Jerusalem. 

It  has  been  conjectured  that  the  potter's  field  was  the  place  in  vk-hich  Judas  hang- 
ed himself;  and  if  so,  this  would  render  its  name  "  the  Field  of  Blood,"  more 
sti-iking  and  emphatical. 

I  Psalmist.     Psalm  Ixix.  25,  andcix.  8. 


of  the  Iluly  Bible.  455 

>vho  are  present,  and  wlio  have  c(3ntiniiccl  with  us  ever 
since  our  Lord  undertook  the  charge  and  care  of  us,  till 
liis  assuni{)lion  to  heaven,  that  he  may  succeed  Judas  in 
the  iiposUesliip." 

The  whole  assembly  were  pleased  with  this  motion, 
and  unanimously  proposed  two  candidates,  leaving  it  to 
be  decided  by  lot  which  of  then*  should  be  appointed. 
The  persons  nominated  were  Josc|ih  called  Earsabas, 
sirnamed  Justus,  and  Matthias.  Then  the  apostles  so- 
lemnly invoked  the  direction  of  God  on  this  occasion  in 
this  prayer  :  "  O  Lord,  that  knowest  the  secrets  of  all 
hearts,  be  pleased  to  direct  the  lot  to  him,  whom  of 
these  two  thou  hast  chosen,  that  he  may  take  possession 
of  this  ministry  and  apostleship,  (from  uhich  Judas  by 
transgression  fell,  that  he  might  go  to  his  own  place;* 
that  place  of  misery,  which  is  appointed  for  impenitent 
sinners,)  and  so  betake  himself  to  the  discharge  of  it." 
The  lots  being  drawn,  Matthiasf  vvas  chosen,  and  was 
accordingly  received  to  make  up  the  number  of  the  twelve 
apostles. 

The  vacancy  in  the  holy  college  being  filled  up  w  ith 
this  new  apostle,  they  were  all  met  together  on  the  day 
of  Pentecost  at  the  service  of  God  in  their  accustomed 
place  :  where,  whilst  they  were  devoutly  employed,  sud- 
denly they  heard  a  great  noise  come  down  from  heaven 
like  that  of  a  rushing,  violent  wind,  which  shook  the  very 
place,  and  came  with  such  a  mighty  force  that  it  filled  the 


*  m*  cKDJi place.  Some  read  part  of  the  sentence.  Acts  i-  25,  in  a  parenthesis 
thus,  "  That  he  may  take  part  of  this  ministry  and  apostleship,  \_fi'om  vibich  jfu- 
das  by  transgressiort  feW]  that  he  may  goto  his  place,"  or  office  ;  that  is,  that  the 
person  chosen  may  occupy  the  place  or  office  of  Judas  ;  but  this  is  a  very  unnatu- 
ral and  forced  interpretation  of  the  passage,  Itf/iv  tctov  signifies  a  place  proper  and 
suitable  for  such  a  wretch,  and  therefore  by  the  righteous  judgment  of  God  cjft- 
puinteJfor  him.  See  Matt.  xxvi.  24,  John  vi.  70,  "1,  and  xvii.  12.  See  also  Ben- 
son and  Whitby  on  the  place. 

f  Matthias.  Some  have  thought  that  as  the  names  Nathanael  and  Matthias 
have  the  same  signification  in  the  Hebrew,  that  the  new  apostle  was  the  same  per- 
son so  distinguished  by  our  Lord  as  "  an  Israelite  indeed  ;"  but  there  is  not  suffi- 
cient  evidence  of  this. 


456  A  Complete  History 

house  where  they  Mere  assembled :  so  great  was  the  effi- 
cacy of  the  Spirit  of  God  now  descending  !  and  there  ap- 
peared to  them  at  the  same  time  a  number  of  divided 
tongues,  made  as  it  were  of  fire ;  that  is,  bright  flames 
in  a  pyramidical  form,  which  were  so  parted  as  to  xm"- 
minate  in  se\eral  points,  and  thereby  afford  a  proper 
emblem  of  the  marvellous  efl'ect  attending  this  appear- 
ance, by  which  they  were  endowed  with  a  miraculous  di- 
versity of  languages.  And  as  soon  as  these  lambent  flames 
appeared  to  touch  them,  they  were  filled  widi  the  Holy 
Spirit,  and  began  to  speak  in  languages  which  they  never 
understood  before. 

At  the  feast  of  Pentecost,  there  were  at  Jerusalem 
many  Jews  and  Proselytes  which  came  from  several  na- 
tions of  all  quarters  of  the  world  to  worship  the  true  God 
at  Jerusalem.  When  these  therefore  heard  the  report  of 
this  miracle,  they  were  very  much  astonished,  because, 
they  being  of  several  nations,  every  one  of  them  heard 
the  apostles  and  other  disciples*  speaking  the  language 
of  his  nation.  Their  curiosity  invites  them  to  an  inquiry 
after  the  reason  of  this  transaction,  saying,  "  How  have 
these  men,  who  are  natives  of  Galilee,  and  have  lived  all 
their  life-time  there,  acquired  this  knowledge?  For  in 
our  own  respective  languages  we  hear  them  preaching 
the  doctrine  of  Christ,  and  the  wonderful  things  God  hath 
wrought  by  him.  This  certainly  must  imply  something 
of  great  moment. "  But  others  were  of  a  diflbrent  opinion, 
and,  in  a  scoffing  manner  ridiculing  the  miracle,  said, 
"  This  is  onlv  the  eflfect  of  drinking  new  wine  ;  it  is  that 
infuses  this  faculty  in  them." 

Hereupon  the  apostles  rising  from  their  seats,  Peter, 

as  eldest,  in  the  name  of  the  rest  makes  this  defence : 

*'  Ye  men  of  Judea,  and  all  that  at  this  time  see  and 

hear  \\  hat  the  Lord  hath  done,  be  assured  these  things 

.are  not  the  effect  of  w  ine  :  ye  know  in  your  consciences 


'  Disciples.  It  is  probable  that  each  of  the  hundred  and  twenty  was  favoured 
with  this  niivacivlous  donation,  and  not  the  apostles  only  :  and  this  best  illustrates 
the  prediction  of  pouring  cut  tiie  Spirit  not  on  God's  servants  only,  but  on  his  baiui- 
maids,  Acs  i.  18.  ' 


(^  the  Hull/ Bible.  457 

it  cannot  be  so,  since  it  is  but  nine  in  the  morning.*  But 
this  is  a  completion  of  a  famous  prophecyf  of  Joel,  who 
saith,  In  the  last  days  I  w  ill  pour  out  my  Spirit  upon  all 
flesh  ;  your  sons  and  your  daughters  shall  prophesy,  your 
young'  men  shall  see  visions,  and  your  old  men  shall 
dream  dreams.  All  ranks  and  qualities  of  men  shall  re- 
ceive the  eifusion  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  and  enable  those 
who  were  never  brought  up  in  the  schools  of  the  pro- 
phets, to  go  and  preach  the  gospel  of  Christ  in  every 
city.  And  after  that,  there  shall  be  fearful  and  stupen- 
dous sights  and  prodigies,  and  many  great  slaughters  in 
Judea,  as  forerunners  and  prognostics  of  the  great  de- 
struction which  shall  befal  this  people  for  their  crucifying 
Christ,  and  from  which  the  only  way  to  rescue  yourselves 
is  to  repent  and  acknowledge  him,  which  is  the  design  of 
this  miraculous  descent  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Observe  and 
attend,  ye  men  of  Israel,  for  you  are  chiefly  concerned 
in  this  great  affair  :  this  Jesus  of  Nazareth  being  demon- 
strated to  be  sent  from  God  by  the  mighty  works  w-hich 
he  did  among  you,  all  which  you  know  to  be  true,  be- 
ing eye-witnesses  of  them  ;  him,  I  say,  being  permitted 
by  God  to  fall  into  your  hands,  you  apprehended  and 
barbarously  crucified ;  him,  whom  God  by  his  deter- 
minate council  had  given  to  retrieve  your  lost  condition, 
ye  with  profane  hands  have  slain.  This  same  Jesus, 
whom  ye  thus  treated,  hath  God  raised  again,  delivering 
him  from  the  power  of  death ;  and,  besides  many  other 
things,  the  prophecies  concerning  him  necessarily  re- 
quired that  he  should  not  lie  under  death :  for  of  him 
David  X  saith,  I  waited,  and  looked  with  assurance  oa 
God,  for  he  is  my  defender,  and  will  not  let  me  miscarry. 
And  for  this  my  tongue  shall  praise  him,  and  my  flesh 
shall  rest  confident  in  him.  Nay,  though  I  die,  yet  shalt 
thou  not  leave  me  in  the  grave,  nor  suffer  thy  Holv  One 
to  see  corruption.  Thou  hist  cheered  me,  and  abundantly 
refreshed  me  with  thv  favour." 


•  Nine  of  the  clock.    This  was  the  time  of  msming  prayers,  to  which  the  Jews 
generally  came  fasting. 

t  Prophecy.     See  Joel  ii.  28.  X  Dfvid.    See  Psalm  xyi-  8,  &c. 

Vol.  II.  3  M      ' 


4SS  A  Complete  History 

"  Give  mc  leave,  brethren,  to  speak  free!}'  concerning 
David,   who'  prophesied  thus :   He  died  like  otlier  men, 
h;'.d  a  solemn  interment,  and  we  have  his  monument  to 
this  day  among  us,  from  whence  he  never  rose.     And 
therefore  he  spake  not  of  himself,  but,  by  way  of  pre- 
diction, of  the  Messiah,  kno\Aing  that  he  should  infallibly 
spring  from  his  loins,  and  that  he  was  to  be  prince  and 
ruler  of  his  church.     And  these  words  of  his  were  pro- 
phetic, and  literally  veiified  in  the  resurrection  of  Jesus,, 
whose  soul  did  not  continue  so  long  in  a  state  of  sepa- 
ration, as  thcit  his  body  should  be  corrupted.*     And  ac- 
cordingly God  hath  raised  him  up  within  three  days,  and 
all  we  ills  apostles  are  eye-witnesses  of  it.    He  being  there- 
fore assumed  to  his  regal  state  and  office  in  heaven,  and 
God  having  performed  to  him  this  promise  of  giving  him 
p()\\er  to  send  the  Holy  Ghost,  he  hath  now  punctually 
fulfilled  his  proniise  to  us  in  sending  it  on  us,  in  this  asto- 
nishing manner  as  you  see  and  hear  \  one  great  effect  of 
which  you  yourselves  can  testify,  for  you  hear  us  speaking 
languages  which  a  short  time  before  x^e  understood  not. 
This  great  and  important  truth  therefore  I  now  proclaim 
to  you,  that  God  the  Father  hath  raised  up  that  Christ, 
whom  ve  Jews  have  crucified,  and  by  assuminsr  him  to 
his  right-hand,   hath  instated  him  in  the  true  kingly  office 
oi'  rhe  Messiah." 

This  speech  of  Peter'*s,  being  accompanied  by  the 
mighty  energy  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  so  deeply  affected  the 
numerous  audience,  that  they  were  filled  with  compunc- 
tion :  and  as  men  wlio  were  w  illing  to  do  any  thing  to 
re.^icue  tlK'mselves  from  the  guilt  of  so  horrible  a  sin  as 
the  murder  of  the  Messiah,  they  cried  out  most  passion- 
ately to  Peter  and  the  rest  of  the  apostles,  intreating 
their  direction  and  advice  what  to  do  in  this  case.  To 
this  earnest  re([uest  the  apostle  Peter  immediately  ac- 
ceded, assuring  them  that  thu.ugh  the  infinite  goodness 


*  Corrupted.  Beza  renders  the  passage,  "  Tbou  'wilt  not  leave  my  corpse  in  tbt- 
g)-ave,  neither  nuilt  thou  suffer  thy  Holy  One  to  see  eomtption."  This  fi-ees  the  pas- 
sage from  all  difficulty,  and  prevents  an  ap])arent  countenance  to  the  popish  doc- 
trine of  Christ's  visit  to  hell.  The  application  of  the  original  words,  Kefhesh  and 
Hheol,  in  various  places,  will  justify  lieza's  version. 


of  the  Holy  Bible,  4-5.9 

of  God,  their  case  was  not  desperate.  He  directs  them 
to  repent  ot"  their  jiggravated  crime,  and  in  rokcn  ot  ihcir 
desire  to  be  washed  Iroin  the  guik  ol"  that  blood  w  hicli 
they  had  so  rashly  imprecated  upon  themselves  and  their 
children,  to  be  each  of  them  baptized  in  the  name  of  the 
JLord  Jesus,  in  order  to  the  forgiveness  of  that  and  of  all 
their  sins,  which  he  assured  them  iliey  should  certainly 
obtain,  and  also  receive  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  where- 
by they  should  be  qualified  to  serve  and  honour  that  glori- 
ous Lord  whom  they  had  crucified. 

To  confirm  them  in  the  belief  of  this,  he  referred  thcni 
to  the  promise  of  God,  (Joel  ii.  17,  18,)  "  which,"  added 
he,  "  is  to  you,  and  to  your  children,  whom  God  is  willing 
to  admit  to  the  same  privileges  with  you,  and  also  to  ex- 
tend it  to  the  remotest  nations,  even  to  all  whom  God 
shall  invite  by  the  preaching  of  the  gospel." 

Many  other  discourses  were,  no  doubt,  uttered  by  St, 
Peter  and  the  rest  of  the  apostles,^  urging  them  with  the 
most  affectionate  importunity  to  renounce  that  obstinate 
unbelief  in  which  they  had  united  \\ith  those  who  cru- 
cified Christ,  and  then  avoid  the  ruin  which  would 
quickly  come  upon  that  depraved  and  perverse  genera- 
tion. 

Such  was  the  wonderful  effect  of  these  addresses  upon 
tliose  who  received  the  word  with  rer:idiness,  that  there 
were  added  to  the  number  of  the  disciples,  that  very  day, 
three  thousand  souls.  Nor  was  this  a  transport  of  sudden 
passion,  but  it  was  evidently  the  work  of  God  on  their 
hearts,  whereby  a  thorough  change  was  effected ;  for, 
notwithstanding  all  the  efforts  of  their  adversaries,  and  ill 
the  danger  to  which  these  converts  exposed  themselves^ 
they  continued  stedfast  in  their  attendance  on  the  word 
which  the  apostles  preached,  and  resolutely  adhered  to 
their  doctrine  :  and  though  many  came  from  distant  parts 
of  the  world,  they  continued  for  a  time  in  Jerusalem,  to 


•  Apostles:  It  is  highly  probable  that,  as  a  variety  of  tongues  were  given,  all 
the  apostles,  and  perhaps  some  of  the  other  dibciples,  addressed  themselves  to  dif- 
ferent auditories,  for  the  concourse  of  people  was  too  great  to  meet  in  one  place,  or 
bear  the  voice  of  one  man. 


460  A  Complete  Kistoinf 

be  more  perfectly  instructed  in  the  Christian  faith  ;  they 
all  lived  in  the  most  endearing  fellowship  and  intimate 
friendship  with  each  other,  and  particularly  expressed 
their  mutual  affection  in  breaking  of  bread  together,  and 
joining  in  the  exercise  of  social  prayer.  And  so  surpris- 
ing was  this  spectacle,  that  many  who  were  not  converted, 
■when  they  took  notice  of  this  wonderful  effect  of  the  apos- 
tle's preaching,  were  mightily  impressed  with  the  thought 
of  it ;  so  that  a  reverential  dread  fell  upon  every  soul, 
which  was  farther  increased  by  many  miracles  w^hich  were 
wrought  in  the  name  of  Jesus.  Such  also  was  the  strong 
affection  that  prevailed  among  them,  that  they  had  all 
things  common,  and  the  wealthy,  in  order  to  supply  the 
wants  of  the  poor,  sold  their  possessions  and  effects,  and 
divided  their  produce  among  the  necessitous.  And  then 
with  unanimity  of  heart  they  frequented  the  temple  daily 
at  the  hours  of  prayer,  aiid  as  frequently  as  they  could, 
made  entertainment  for  their  brethren,  especially  for  the 
strangers,  and  partook  of  their  ordinary  refreshment  with 
the  greatest  joy  and  simplicity  of  heart,  filled  with  gra- 
titude to  God  for  the  riches  of  his  grace  towards  them, 
and  being,  in  general,  much  respected  among  the  people, 
on  account  of  their  amiable  and  benevolent  conduct : 
And  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  to  whom  they  had  devoted 
|l  themselves,   added  daily  to  the  church  considerable  num- 

bers of  those  happy  souls  who  were  saved  from  the  ap- 
proaching destruction,  and  from  the  future  punishment  t6 
which  they  would  otherwise  have  been  exposed  by  it. 

Shortly  after  the  miraculous  conversion  of  the  three 
thousand,  Peter  and  John  went  up  together  to  the  tem- 
ple, at  three  in  the  afternoon,  which  was  one  of  the 
times  of  dny  generally  set  apart  for  prayer.  And  as 
they  entered  in  at  the  gate  of  the  temple  toward  the 
I  east  in  Solomon's  porch,  which  was  called  the  Beautiful 

■  Gate,*  there  lay  an  impotent  man,  that  had  been  lame 


•  Beautiful  Gate.  This  was  erected  by  Herod  the  Great ;  it  is  said  to  have 
fceen  about  forty -five  feet  high,  and  twenty-two  feet  broad,  nude  of  Corinthian 
brass,  and  exceedingly  splendid. 


of  the  Holy  Bible.  461 

from  his  birth,  and  ^vho  used  to  bcp;  the  ahns  of  those 
that  daily  came  to  pray  there.     The  cripple  seeing  Peter 
and  John  going  into  the  temple,  begs  their  charity  :  the 
apostles  stop  at  the  importunity  of  the  man  ;  and  look- 
ing earnestly  on   him,   Peter   bids    the    cripple  look  on 
them.     The   poor  man,  expecting   pecuniary  relief,  ear- 
nestly fixed  his  eyes  on  the  apostles,  who,  under  the  divine 
impulse,    intending  a  far  more  valuable  favour,    said  to 
him,  "  The  alms  thou  requires!  I  have  not  to  give,  but 
that  which  exceeds  the  worth  of  silver  and  gold,  and  will 
eminently  supply  thy  wants  I  freely  bestow  on  thee  :  In 
the  name  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth*  rise  up  and  walk."     And 
taking  him  by  the  hand  he  helped  him  up,  and  imme- 
diately he  was  cured  of  his  lameness,  being  able  to  stand 
and  walk.      Upon  this  miraculous  cure,  the  poor   man, 
now  no  longer  a  cripple,    entered  with  the  apostles  into 
the  temple,  to  demonstrate  the  miracle,  and  to  praise  God 
for  the  instruments  of  his  cure.     Having  many  years  sat 
an  object  of  charity   there,    he  must  of  course  be  well 
known  of  all  pious  people  who  used  to  go  that  way,  who 
seeing  him  walking  and  praising  God,  were  amazed  at  the 
greatness  of  the  cure.     The  rumour  of  this  soon  spread 
abroad,  and  as  the  poor  man   thus  healed  kept  close  to 
Peter  and  John,  being  unwilling  to  part  with  those  from 
whom  he  had  received  so  great  a  benefit,  the  people  in 
great  numbers  crowded  about  the  apostles,  to  whom  Peter 
thus  addressed  himself: 

"  Men  of  Israel,  why  do  you  look  upon  this  cure  as  a 
thing  strange  ?  (The  miracles  of  Jesus  were  far  greater 
than  this.)  Or  why  do  ye  attribute  any  thing  to  us  in 
this  matter,  as  if  there  were  any  excellency  in  us  to 
which  this  cure  were  to  be  imputed  ?  The  God  of  our 
fathers  hath  given  this  power  of  working  miracles  to  Je- 
sus, whom  you  delivered  to  Pilate  to  be  crucified,  re- 
leasing a   known  murderer  and   thief,    and   putting   to 


*  Nazareth.  We  shall  have  frequent  occasion  in  the  course  of  this  history  to 
observe,  that  this  name  of  reproach  by  which  our  Saviour  was  distinguished,  was 
adopted  both  by  himself  and  his  apostles ;  for  Jesus  was  not  bom  in  Nazareth,  as 
jhe  Jews  pretended,  but  at  Bethlehem, 


462  A  Complete  ITistory 


death  him,  who  came  to  bring  life  to  the  world ;  whom 
God  hath  pleased  to  raise  liom  the  dead,  and  make  us 
witnesses  thereof.  And  now  it  is  by  faith  in  him  that  this 
man  hath  recovered  from  his  lameness.  The  man  you 
know,  having  for  many  years  seen  him  a  begging  crip- 
ple. And  this  faith  working  by  his  power  on  whom  ue 
believe,  hath  wrought  this  remarkable  cure,  at  which 
you  all  so  much  wonder.  Now  this,  I  suppose,  brethren, 
that  you  of  the  multitude,  which  did  thus  reject  Christ, 
did  not  know  him  to  be  the  Messiah,  and  the  same  I  sup- 
pose  of  your  rulers.  But  by  these  means,  the  many  pro- 
phecies of  Scripture,  that  the  Messiah  should  be  put  to 
death,  have  been  fulfilled.  Repent,  therefore,  of  your 
iniquities,  and  turn  to  God,  that  you  may  be  delivered 
from  the  heavy  burden  of  your  guilt,  that  seasons  of  re- 
freshment and  deligln  may  come  upon  you,  and  that  so, 
at  length,  he  may  send  unto  you  Jesus  Christ,  whom  the 
heavens,  to  which  he  has  ascended,  must  retain,  till  the 
happy  times  of  the  restitution  of  all  things  at  the  great 
day  shall  arrive  ;  when  the  seeming  irregularities  of  the 
present  dispensation  shall  all  be  rectified,  according  to 
tlie  predictions  of  these  events  by  all  the  ho'y  prophets. 
For  Moses,  one  of  the  first,  and  chief  of  all  the  prophets, 
plainly  described  the  Messiah  of  whom  I  speak,  and  all 
his  successors  have  foretold  these  eventful  days.  Ye  are 
the  peculiar  persons  of  whom  the  prophets  foretold,  and 
to  whom  the  covenant  belongs,  which  was  made  to  Abra- 
ham, in  which  was  promised  that  the  posterity  of  him 
should  be  so  blessed,  that  all  the  families  and  people  of 
the  world,  that  would  bless  themselves  or  others,  should 
use  this  form,  *'  God  bless  them,  as  he  blessed  Abraham's 
Seed. "  This  was  upon  the  account  of  having  Christ  given 
them,  besides  many  other  special  prerogatives  bestowed 
on  them.  This  accordingly  is  performed  and  accom- 
plished. For  God  having  raised  this  Christ  again,  hath, 
by  our  })reacinng  his  resurrection,  lirst  to  you,  sent  him 
again  in  a  most  glorious  manner  to  bless  his  enemies,  to 
do  to  them  all  the  good  offices  imaginable,  by  tenderness 
and  charity  to  work  upon  his  most  obdurate  crucifiers, 
iind  to  turn  every  one  of  you  from  your  infidelity  and  im- 
penitence." 


1 


of  the  Holij  Bible.  4G3 

Whilst  Peter  was  instriictinji;  ihc  pcoj)lc,  the  captain 
of  tlie  guartl  that  sat  at  the  porches  of  the  temple,  to  keep 
the  peace,  at  the  instigation  of  the  Sadducecs,  came 
with  an  armed  force,  and  seized  the  two  apostles,  and 
led  them  to  prison  ;  notwithstanding  which,  so  g^reat  was 
tlie  power  and  efficacy  of  Peter's  preaching,  that  five  thou- 
sand more  converts  were  added  to  the  church  and  faidi  of 
Christ.* 

The  two  apostles  being  confined  all  night,  the  next 
morning  they  of  whom  the  Sanhedrim  consisted,  and 
particularly  Annas  and  Caiaphas  assembling  in  council, 
caused  Peter  and  John  to  be  brought  before  them,  whom 
they  examined  upon  these  interrogatories  :  How  they 
were  enabled  to  perform  the  miracle  on  the  lame  man  ? 
Whose  name  they  in\oked  ?  and  From  whom  thc}^  pretend- 
ed to  have  commission  thus  to  preach  to  the  people? 
In  answer  to  these  questions,  Peter  being  by  the  Spirit  of 
God  endued  with  an  extraordinary  presence  of  mind,  and 
elocution,  spake  thus,  *'  Ye  rulers  of  the  people  and  el- 
ders of  Israel,  we  are  this  day  examined  before  you  con- 
cerning an  action,  which  is  so  far  from  being  criminal,  that 
it  is  an  act  of  special  mercy.  Be  assured,  that  this  mi- 
raculous cure  peribrmed  on  the  lame  man,  was  wrought 
by  no  other  means  than  by  invoking  the  name  of  Jesus  of 
Nazaretii,  whom  ye  crucified,  and  God  most  miraculously 
raised  again.  This  is  he  that  was  prophesied  of  under  the 
title  of  a  stone  refused,  rejected  by  you,  the  chief  of  the 
Jews,  and  treated  with  contempt,  but  is  now  by  his  re- 
surrection enthroned  in  power  (an  effect  of  which  is  tliis 
miracle  wrought  in  his  name)  and  is  indeed  become  the 
ruler  and  king  of  the  church,  the  prime  foundation-stone 
of  the  whole  labric.  In  him  alone  must  salvation  now  be 
ho'ped  for  by  all ;  for  there  is  no  other  name  under  heaven, 
given  out  by  God  among  the  children  of  men,  whether  of 
patriarch  or  prophet,  or  priest,  or  king,  in  which  we  can 
be  saved  or  recovered. ' ' 


•  Christ.  It  may  be  doubted  whether  five  thousand  beside  the  three  thousand 
l»efore  mentioned  were  now  converted,  or  whether  the  latter  made  five  thousand 
together  with  the  former. 


464  A  Complete  History 

When  the  court  saw  with  what  courage  and  freedom  of 
speech  the  apostles  behaved  themselves,  and  considering 
that  their  education  had  not  thus  elevated  them  above  the 
capaci'Lj  of  other  men,  being  neither  skilled  in  the  lear- 
ning of  the  Jews,  nor  as  men  of  distinction  among  them, 
instructed  in  their  laws,  they  were  amazed  at  it ;  but  con- 
sidering they  were  some  of  those  that  attended  on  Jesus 
in  bis  life-time,  and  observing  the  man  on  whom  they 
had  wrought  the  miraculous  cure,  stand  with  them  and 
ready  lo  attest  it ;  though  they  were  as  maliciously  affected 
towards  them,  as  envy  could  make  them,  yet  having  no- 
thing to  object  against  the  fact,  either  as  it  respected  the 
man  that  was  cured,  or  the  apostles  that  performed  the 
cure,  they  thought  fit  in  this  difficulty  to  consult  by  them- 
selves what  expedient  to  make  use  of;  and  therefore  com- 
manding the  apostles  to  withdraw,  they  entered  upon  this 
debate,  demanding  of  one  another  how  they  should  pro- 
ceed in  this  case.  "As  to  the  men  we  have  nothing  to 
accuse  them  of:  For,  that  they  have  performed  a  great 
miracle  is  apparent  to  all  men,  and  we  cannot  deny  it ; 
and  the  man  that  was  healed  is  a  living  witness  :  since 
therefore  they  are  guilty  of  no  breach  of  our  laws,  to  pre- 
vent their  further  seducing  the  peoj^le,  who  are  too  apt  to 
be  led  away  by  them,  we  will  call  them  in,  and  forbid 
them  upon  severe  penalties  to  preach  Christ  and  his  gos- 
pel any  more."  Thus  they  decreed  ;  and  accordingly 
sending  for  them,  commanded  them  not  to  speak  private- 
ly, or  teach  publicly,  any  thing  concerning  the  faith  of 
Christ.  But  the  christian  heroes,  whose  commission  was 
from  a  higher  power  than  any  on  earth,  slighting  this  in- 
terdict, and  all  their  threats,  declared,  that  they  were 
commanded  by  God  to  do  their  duty,  and  that  in  all  rea- 
son God  must  be  obeyed  before  any  temporal  magistrate  ; 
in  which  they  appealed  to  the  Sanhedrim,  plainly  telling 
them,  that  they  should  not  desist  from  doing  their  duty, 
but  openly  testify  those  important  truths  of  Christ,  so  pe- 
culiarly made  known  to  them,  that  they  might  proclaim 
them  to  others,  and  which  none  could  more  fairly  attest 
than  themselves,  who  had  been  eye  and  ear-witnesses  of 
them.  The  court  not  knowing  what  else  to  say  to  them, 
being  unable  to  deny  their  arguments,  they  added  more 


,ofthe  Ilohj  B'lhle.  '  465 

llircatcuings,  if  possible,  to  terrify  tlicni ;  and  so  dismiss- 
ed tlicm,  liaving-  nothing  to  lay  to  their  charge,  but  the 
euring  the  lame  man  in  the  nan^e  of  Jesus  ;  and  lor  this  all 
the  people  looked  on  them  with  reverence  and  esteem,  and 
counted  it  an  act  of  God's  immediate  and  infinite  mercy  ; 
for  \A-hich  they,  that  were  the  instruments  of  it,  ought  to 
be  blessed,  not  punished  by  them,  and  therefore  they  durst 
uot  punish  or  censure  them  for  it. 

The  two  apostles  being  dismissed,  returned  with  joy  to 
their  companions,  who  with  infinite  satisfaction  heard  the 
report  of  all  that  had  passed,  and  unanimously  glorified 
God,  w^ho  by  his  holy  prophet  David*  had  foretold  what 
was  now  come  to  pass,  that  the  Jews  should  oppose 
Christ,  say  false  things  of  him,  deny  and  crucify  him 
first,  and,  when  God  had  raised  him  from  the  dead,  op- 
pose the  preaching  of  him  ;  that  the  princes  and  gover- 
nors, Herod  and  Pontius  Pilate,  should  combine  against 
him,  and  the  rulers  should  in  council  consult  against  him, 
the  Messiah  that  God  had  sent ;  for  it  is  a  certain  truth, 
that  Herod  and  Pontius  Pilate  gathered  themselves  toge- 
ther with  the  Gentiles  and  people  of  Israel  against  his  holy 
Son  Jesus,  whom  he  had  anointed  to  do  whatsoever  his 
power  and  wisdom  determined  to  be  done.f  And  now, 
O  Lord,  behold  their  threatenings,  and  enable  us  thy  ser- 
vants powerfully  to  preach  thy  gospel,  and  to  work  mira- 
culous cures  on  all  those,  on  whom  we  shall  invoke  the 
name  of  thy  holy  Son  Jesus." 

Upon  this  prayer  of  the  faithful  congregation,  there 
came  the  like  wind,  as  before  mentioned,  and  shook  the 


»  David.     See  Psal.  ii.  1. 

•f-  Done.  Our  author  adopts  the  transposition  of  the  original  words,  as  propo- 
sed by  Limborch  ;  but  Dr.  Doddridge  well  observes,  that  this  transposition  is  ar- 
bitrary ;  he  prefers  the  following  sense  of  the  words  in  his  paraphrase.  "  But  it 
is  our  unspeakable  comfort,  to  think,  that  by  their  utmost  rage  they  cannot  break 
in  upon  thy  schemes,  or  prevent  the  efficacy  of  thy  purposes  ;  for  they  have  only 
been  able  to  do  what  thine  hand  had  pointed  out  before,  and  what  thy  unerring 
counsel,  to  which  all  future  events  are  obvious,  had  before  determined,  that,  for 
wise  reasons  thou  wouldest  permit  to  be  done." 

See  Doddridge  on  Acts  iv.  28. 

Vol.  II.  3  N 


• 


466  *4  Complete  Histonj 

place  where  tbcy  were  assembled  ;  and  special  gifts  of 
God's  Spirit  fell  upon  those  that  were  there  present;  and 
this  was  such  a  confirmation  to  them  all,  that  without  scru- 
ple or  fear,  they  published  the  gospel  of  Christ ;  in  a  hap- 
py concord  and  union  agreeing  in  the  same  christian  de- 
signs, no  one  of  the  company  laying  any  particular  claim 
to  those  necessaries  which  they  had,  but  by  a  common 
right  enjoyed  them,  without  difference  or  distinction. 
And  the  a ji'ostles  continued  their  ministerial  office  with  vi- 
gilance and  care,  confirming  with  many  miracles  their 
preaching  of  Christ's  resurrection. 

Now  that  there  might  be  no  want  of  competent  |>rovi. 
sion,  those  believers,  who  had  estates  or  goods,  brought 
in  plentiful  contributions,  selling  their  possessions  of 
lands  or  houses,  gave  the  price  of  them  to  the  apostles^ 
who  received  it  of  tlum  for  the  public  use,  and  distri- 
buted to  every  one  as  necessity  required.  Among  these 
kind  and  faithful  contributors  none  was  more  sincere  and 
ready  than  Joses  the  Cypriot,  surnamed  by  the  apostles 
Barnabas;  (a  true  son  of  consolation)  who  having  a  piece 
of  land  of  his  own,  (not  any  part  of  the  Levites'  portion, 
though  himself  was  a  Levite)  made  sale  of  it,  and  brought 
the  full  price  of  it,  and  put  it  wholly  in  the  power  of  the 
apostles,  to  dispose  of,  and  distribute  it  as  they  thought 
iiiost  convenient. 

But  the  great  enemy  of  mankind,  seeing  the  mighty 
improvement  and  increase  of  the  church  of  Christ,  and 
that  from  a  slender  semination  of  the  gospel,  there  was 
likely  to  be  a  vast  harvest,  scattered  the  tares  of  craft  and 
hypocrisy  in  this  blessed  field.  Among  the  rest  that  re- 
s«;rted  to  these  assemblies  of  the  faithful,  and  contributed 
to  their  mutual  support^  an  unhappy  pair,  Ananias  and 
"^apphira,  with  joint  consent  devoted  all  they  had  to  the 
use  of  the  church,^  and  to  that  purpose  sold  their  estate  : 
but  they  had  combined  together  to  keep  some  part  of  the 
money  for  themselves.  Ananias  coming  first  hito  the 
presence  of  the  apostles,  m  ith  great  assurance  and  appa- 
rent cheerfulness,  produced  the  money,  and  laid  it  at  the 
apostles'  feet.  But  Peter,  who  by  divine  inspiitition  knew 
the  cheat,  in  a  holv  indiimation  and  abhorrence  of  so 
vile  an  act  of  sacrilege,  thus  reprehended  him.     "  How, 


•% 


,  %  of  the  Holy  liible.  407 

O  Ananias,  hath  S.itan  persuaded  ihee  thus  to  ^<enipt  to 
■tlfccive  the  Holy  Gli<)b.t,  in  purloiiiiui^  part  of  that  which 
tiiou  hadst  consecrated  to  God's  service  and  the  use  of 
liis  church  ?  Before  it  was  sold,  was  it  not  wholly  thine  ? 
and  when  it  was  sold,  didst  thou  not  receive  tiie  full  price 
for  which  it  was  sord  ?  Was  it  not  then  in  thy  powcT 
fully  to  perform  tliy  vow  ?  Upon  what  motive  then  hast 
thou  done  this?  This  falsity  in  concealinj^  the  full  price 
is  not  only  an  injury  to  the  church,  but  to  God,  who  knew 
thy  private  vow,  that  it  was  consecrating  the  whole,  and 
«ot  this  part  only  which  thou  hast  brought  to  us."  These 
piercing  words  of  Peter  so  affected  Ananias  with  despair 
and  the  horror  of  his  guilt,  that  he  fell  down  dead  imme- 
diately on  the  spot,  to  the  great  astonishment  and  terror  of 
all  those  who  were  present. 

His  body  being  removed  in  order  to  be  interred,  about 
three  hours  after  this  jutlgment  fell  on  Ananias,  his  wife 
Sapphira  came  into  the  assembly  with  the  same  assurance, 
iiot  in  the  least  suspecting  what  had  happened  to.  her 
sacrilegious  husband.  Peter  examining  her,  whether  the 
sum  which  they  brought  was  the  full  sum  for  which  the 
field  was  sold  ?  She  answered,  It  was.  W^hereupon  Peter, 
M  ith  the  saip.e  spirit  of  holy  indignation,  thus  pronounces 
sentence  against  her.  "  How  durst  you  both  combine  to 
provoke  God,  to  try  whether  he  will  punish  this  your  im- 
pious fraud,  or  not?  That  thou  mayest  see  how  highly 
God  resents  your  sacrilegious  intentions,  behold  the  men 
are  coming  in,  which  have  buried  thy  husband,  and  they 
shall  forthwith  carry  thee  out  also,  and  lay  thee  in  the 
same  grave."  She  no  sooner  hears  her  doom  pronounced, 
l3ut  it  is  executed  ;  for  she  immediately  fell  down  dead  at 
his  feet ;  and  die  same  officers  that  buried  her  husband, 
carry  her  out  from  the  assembly,  and  lay  her  by  him. 
This  judgment  upon  these  sacrilegious  wretches,  not  only 
affected  the  believers  with  fear  and  reverence,  but  all  others 
to  whom  it  was  related.*' 


•  Related.  This  miracle  served  to  vindicate  the  honour  of  the  blessed  Spirit, 
so  notoriously  aflFronted  by  this  attempt  to  impose  on  the  persons  who  had  re- 
ceived his  miraculous  gifts,  and  tended  effectuaily  to  deter  dishonest  persons 


468  A  Complete  History 

Many  other  stupendous  signs  and  wonders  were  wrought 
among  the  people  in  the  most  pubhc  manner,  by  the 
hands  of  the  apostles,  who  continued  in  the  strictest  fel- 
lowship with  the  whole  company  of  believers,  and  fre- 
quently met  together  in  Solomon's  Porch ;  and  none  of 
those  who  were  not  sincerely  converted  to  Christianity, 
presumed  to  join  himself  to  them  ;  but  all  the  people 
entertained  a  high  veneration  for  the  apostles  as  persons 
owned  of  God  in  the  most  signal  manner.  And  though 
the  death  of  these  unhappy  offenders  prevented  hypo- 
critical persons  from  joining  them,  yet  the  success  of  the 
gospel  was  promoted,  for  vast  numbers  of  both  sexes  be- 
lieved their  testimony,  and  were  united  to  the  church. 
And  they  were  further  animated  to  boldness  in  their  pro- 
fession, by  the  numerous  miracles  of  mercy,  which  suc- 
ceeded this  work  of  terror,  insomuch  that  as  they  passed 
the  public  streets,  the  people  brought  out  the  sick  and 
(inlaid  them  at  their  doors  on  beds  and  couches,  that,  at 
least,  the  shadow  of  Peter  as  he  was  going  by,  might 
overshadow  some  or  other  of  them,  and  this  extraordi- 
nary faith  was  rewarded  by  the  healing  of  many  in  such 
circumstances.  Nor  were  these  miraculous  transactions 
confined  to  the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem,  but  the  neigh- 
bouring cities  shared  in  the  benefit,  the  people  from  all 
the  parts  adjacent  bringing  their  diseased  and  possessed 
patients  to  these  heavenly  physicians,  who  answered  their 
expectations  in  affording  present  relief. 

The  fame  of  these  wonderful  performances  of  the 
apostles  agiiin  reaching  the  ears  of  the  Sanhedrim  (most 
of  them  being  of  the  sect  of  the  Sadducees)  they  were 
highly  incensed,  and  resolved  at  once  to  suppress  these 
strange  doings.  In  order  to  M'hich  they  apprehended  the 
apostles,  and  imprisoned  them  in  the  common  gaol.  But 
the  malice  of  their  enemies  could  not  long  detain  them  in 
any  place  of  confinement ;  for  in  the  night  a  heavenly  mes- 
senger brought  them  a  discharge,  telling  them,  it  was  the 


from  joining  the  christians  for  the  sake  of  filthy  lucre  ;  it  afforded  also  a  strong 
confirmation  of  the  truth  of  that  religion  which  the  apostles  were  now  establish- 
ing, just  as  the  death  of  Nadab  and  Abihu,  confirmed  the  Mosaic  instiiuiion. 
(^.evit.  X.  1.) 


of  the  Holy  Bible.  4G9 

\\\\\  of  their  Alirughty  defender,  tluit  tlicy  should  not  fear  to 
do  their  duty,  but  go  into  the  temple,  and  there  j)rea-ch  ihc 
doctrine  of  their  Lord  and  Master.  In  obedience  to  the 
Divine  message  and  direction,  early  in  the  morning  they 
repaired  to  the  temple,  and  there  expounded  the  Scrip- 
lures,  and  taught  the  doctrine  of  Christ  as  the  Saviour  of 
mankind. 

In  the  mean  time  the  members  of  the  Sanliedrim  think- 
ing the  apostles  had  been  in  safe  custody,  went  to  the 
court,  and  sent  their  ofiicers  to  bring  them  before  them. 
But  when  die  officers  came  to  the  prison,  and  found  no 
person  in  it,  they  returned  with  great  surprise,  telling 
those  that  sent  them  ;  "  That  they  ibund  the  prison-doors 
shut,  and  the  guard  carefully  watching  without,  but  that 
the  prisoners  were  not  there." 

^V'hen  the  Sanhedrim  of  the  Jews,  and  the  captain  that 
set  the  guard,  heard  this,  they  were  strangely  perplexed, 
and  wondered  how  it  could  be,  that  the  prison  being  shut, 
and  the  guard  at  the  doors,  the  prisoners  should  escape ; 
suspecting  this  must  presage  some  strange  thing.  But 
while  they  Liboured  under  this  perplexity,  a  messenger 
came  into  court,  and  assured  tliem,  "  That  the  men, 
-■whom  they  last  night  committed  to  prison,  were  standing 
in  the  temple,  and  instructing  the  people." 

Hereupon,  the  captain'  of  the  guard,  taking  officers 
with  him,  went  immediately  to  the  temple,  and  per- 
suaded the  apostles  to  go  with  him  to  the  council,  not 
daring  to  offer  any  violence,  for  fear  the  people  should 
stone  them.  Being  set  before  the  council,  the  High- 
Priest  charged  them  with  contumacy,  saying,  "  Did  we 
not  strictly  command  you  not  to  publish  this  doctrine  of 
Christ,  nor  teach  in  his  name  ?  And  yet  in  contempt  of 
our  authority,  ye  have  published  it  in  the  temple  to  all 
the  city,  and  endeavoured  as  much  as  in  you  lies,  by  lay- 
ing his  blood  to  our  charge,  to  raise  a  mutiny  against  us, 
as  his  murderers."  To  this  charge  the  apostles  made  the 
same  defence  as  before,  "  To  us,  who  were  commanded 
by  God  himself  to  publish  the  gospel,  your  interdict  is  of 
no  force.  When  God  releases  us  from  prison,  where 
you  confined  us,  and  commands  us  to  go  into  the  tem- 
ple, and  preach  the  faith  of  Christ,   we  are  obliged  to 


\ 


470  A  Complete  History 

render  obedience  to  him,  and  not  to  your  decrees.     The 
God  of  Israel,  acknowledged  by  us  all,  hath  sent  the  Mes- 
siah into  the  world   with  his  special  commission,  whom 
when  ve  had  crucified  as  a  malellictor,  God  raised  from 
death,  took  him  into  heaven,  and  invested  him  wkh  re- 
gal power,  from  thence  to  send  the  Spirit  of  his  rather, 
(which  ^vas  not  to  descend  till  he  was  ascended)  and  by 
that  means  to  give  you  Jews  place  for  repentance,  that  if 
)'e  will  yet  come  in,  and  believe  on  him,  ye  may  receive 
the  pardon  of  your  sins.    The  truth  of  this  we  now  testify, 
and  so  doth  the  Holy  Ghost,  that  came  down  upon  us, 
and  the  rest  that  have  consorted  with  us,  and  is  communi- 
cated by  us  to  ull  that  believe  and  pay  obedience  to  him.'* 
This  answer  of  the  apostles  being  a  just  reproach  upon 
the  Sanhedrim,  stung  them  to  the  heart,  insomuch  that 
by  a  speedy  sentence  they  resolved  to  silence  them  ;  and 
therefore  they  entered  into  a  consultation  how  to  put  them 
to  death.     Bat  Gamaliel,*  a  learned  doctor  of  the  law, 
and  of  great  reputation   among   the   people,    seeing   the 
desperate  inclination  of  the  Sanhedrim,  endeavoured  to 
divert  them  from  this  dangerous  expedient,  and  ordering 
the  apostles  to  withdraw,   addressed  himself  thus  to  the 
council.     "  I  advise  you  to  be  cautious,  O  men  of  Israel, 
in  what  you  do  to  these  men.     For  we  have  examples  of 
persons,  who  have  gathered  follo\Aers,   and  raised   sedi- 
tions among  the  people,  but  have  come  to  nothing.     As 
for  instance,  Theudas,   that  undertook  to  be  a  general, 
boasting  that  he  was  sent  by  God  to  that  purpose,  and  so 
got  four  hundred  men  to  follow  him,   soon  miscarried, 
for  himself  was  killed,  and  all  his  adherents  put  to  flight. 
After  him  rose  up  Judas  of  Galilee  in  the  days  of  the  tax- 
ing, who  drew  a  mighty  concourse  of  people  after  him,  but 
he  soon  perished,  and  all  his  followers  were  dispersed.     I 
advise  you  therefore  not  to  be  hasty  in  your  proceediiigs 
against  these  men,  but  rather  dismiss  them  ;   for  die  doc- 


•  Gamaliel.  This  was  a  man  so  highly  esteemed  by  the  Jews,  that  it  was  said, 
«  the  honour  of  the  law  failed  with  him."  He  was  the  tutor  of  the  apostle  Paul 
(Acts  xxii.o,)  who  could  not  but  have  learned  this  event  from  his  master,  and 
which  rendered  his  persecution  of  the  christians  the  more  aggravated. 


of  the  Holy  Bible.  All 

Irinc  which  they  preach  is  cither  from  God,  or  not.  If 
it  be  not  from  God,  it  w ill  \\ithout  our  opposiiion  come 
to  notliinj^  ;  the  certain  fate  of  false  prophets  :  but  if  it 
be  Irom  God,  you  may  be  sure  you  will  not  be  able  to 
jjrevail  against  it,  for  all  your  obstinate  opposition  and  en- 
terprises will  be  flying  in  God's  face,  and  striving  against 
the  eternal  decrees  of  his  providence." 

The  council,  unable  to  elude  the  force  of  what  Ga- 
maliel had  said,  yielded  for  the  present,  admitting  that 
liis  advice  was  safe  and  wise.  Then  calling  for  the  apos- 
tles into  court  again,  they  ordered  them  to  be  scourged 
(a  very  reproachful  punishment)  and  charging  them  not 
to  jjreach  the  faith  of  Christ  any  more,  they  released 
them.  But  this  punishment  was  matter  of  joy  and  com- 
fort to  the  apostles,  that  they  were  advanced  to  such  a 
degree  of  honour  and  blessedness,  as  to  be  scourged  for 
preaching  Christ.  After  this  they  were  constantly  in 
the  temple  or  in  some  house,  instructing  those  that  had 
already  received  the  faith,  or  preaching  it  to  those  that 
had  not. 

And  now  the  number  of  Christians  daily  increasing, 
the  Jews  that  understood  Greek,*  and  used  the  Greek 
scriptures  in  their  congregation,  complained  of  unequal  and 
partial  dealing ;  that  there  was  little  care  taken  of  their 
widows,  in  proportion  to  the  Hebrews  in  the  daily  distri- 
bution or  provision  that  was  made  for  the  poor.  Then 
the  twelve  apostles,  calling  the  church  together,  said 
thus ;  "  It  is  not  reasonable  that  we  should  neglect  the 
preaching  of  the  gospel,  and  undertake  the  care  of  look- 


•  Greek.  The  title  of  Greek  does  not  only  signify  those  who  are  Greeks  by 
birth,  or  who  speak  Greek,  but  also  in  genera!  all  idolaters,  in  opposition  to  the 
Jews,  who  only  worshipped  the  true  God.  For  which  reason,  to  avoid  ambigui- 
ty, the  true  signification  of  it  should  be  determined  according  to  the  persons  and 
circumstances,  where  it  is  employed.  As  when  St.  Mark  calls  the  woman, 
■whose  daughter  had  an  unclean  spirit,  a  Greek,  Mark  vii.  26,  for  she  could  not 
be  a  Greek  by  nation,  since  it  is  expressly  observed,  that  she  was  a  Syrian,  and 
since  Syria  was  at  a  great  distance  from  Greece ;  the  same  amendment  must  b« 
made,  Rom.  i.  16,  Gal.  iii.  28,  and  here  Acts  vi.  1,  andi.x.  29,  where  mention 
is  made  of  the  Greeks,  we  must  translate,  "  The  Jews  that  siH>ke  Greek." 


472  ..i  Complete  History 

ing  after  the  poor.  Therefore,  brethren,  do  you  nomi- 
nate to  us  seven  men,  who  have  approved  themselves  to 
be  faithful  and  trusty  persons  among  you,  eminent  for 
wisdom  and  other  good  gifts,  that  we  may  appoint  them 
to  the  office  of  deacons  in  the  church,  and  entrust  with 
the  care  of  distributing  to  the  necessitous,  out  of  the 
public  stqck  ;  and  by  these  means  we  shall  be  less  in- 
terrupted in  our  daily  employment  of  praying  and  preach- 
ing the  gospel."  This  proposal  pleased  the  whole  as- 
sembly,  and  they  immediately  put  it  in  execution,  no- 
minating seven,  the  first  of  whom  was  Stephen,  a  very 
worthy  person,  richly  instructed  in  the  doctrine  of  Christ, 
and  full  of  the  Holy  Gl^ost ;  the  other  six  were  Philip, 
Prochorus,  Nicanor,  Timon,  Parmenas,  and  Nicholas. 
These  seven,  tlie  disciples  presented  to  the  twelve  apos- 
tles, who  by  prayer  and  imposition  of  hands  ordained 
them  to  the  office  of  deacons.  Then  the  faith  of  Christ 
was  propagated,  and  a  very  great  number  of  men  in  Je- 
rusalem associated  with  the  apostles,  every  day  more  and 
more,  and  many  of  the  Jewish  priests  received  the  Gospel 
thus  preached  by  the  Eipostles. 

Of  the  seven  deacons  thus  ordained,  Stephen  was  the 
first  and  most  eminent  in  the  exercise  of  his  holy  func- 
tion, and  was  raised  by  Divine  Providence  to  the  supe- 
rior honors  of  an  Evangelist  and  a  Martyr,  and  was  ena- 
bled in  a  very  extraordinary  manner,  to  confirm  the  doc- 
trine he  taught  by  many  miraculous  operations.  And 
as  he  was  preaching  the  faith  of  Christ,  some  men  of 
thu.it  svnagogue  which  was  called  by  the  name  of  Liber- 
tines,* and  of  those  that  dwelt  in  Cyrene,  Alexandria, 
Cilicia  and  Asia,  opposed  and  contradicted  Stephen.  But 
he  expressed  himself  with  so  much  knowledgs  and 
strength  of  argument,  that  they  were  totally  unable  to 
cope  with  him  oi'  defend  themselves  against  his  irresistible 
arguments.     They  were  tlieiefore  so  much  irritated  that 


*  Libertines.  These  were  the  sons  of  them,  who  being  Jews  had  been  made 
free  denizens  by  the  Romans,  or  were  born  of  Jewish  parents  in  cities  which  had 
those  privileges  under  the  Romans,  such  as  Tarsus,  where  Paul  was  born,  who 
■was  very  active  in  this  business.     See  Acts  vii.  58. 


of  the  IIolij  Bible.  473 

they  had  recourse  to  a  most  mean  and  dishonest  fraud, 
for  they  suborned  false  witnesses  to  swear  against  him  and 
accuse  him  to  the  Sanhedrim,  that  tliey  had  heard  him 
speak  dishonourably  of  the  Jewish  religion.  Having  thus 
incensed  the  whole  city  against  Stephen,  they  caused  him 
to  be  apprehended  and  carried  before  the  Sanhedrim ;  and 
their  witnesses  being  produced,  they  charged  him  with 
foretelling  destruction  to  the  temple,  and  threatening  the 
change  of  all  the  Mosaical  rites  and  ceremonies.  Whilst 
the  charge  was  read  against  him,  the  judges  and  all  that 
were  present  in  the  Sanhedrim,  as  they  looked  on  him, 
saw  a  great  splendor  about  him,  like  the  countenance  of 
an  angel.*  The  chief  priest  having  heard  the  accusation, 
asked  him  whether  he  was  guilty  of  thus  predicting  the 
destruction  of  the  temple,  and  change  of  the  Jewish  reli- 
gion? In  answer  to  whom  he  makes  this  defence : 

"  Men,  brethren  and  fathers,  I  beseech  you  observe. 
The  eternal  God  of  heaven  and  earth  appeared  to  our  fa- 
ther Abraham,  whilst  he  was  in  Mesopotamia,  the  place 
of  his  birth,  commanding  him  to  remove  from  thence,  by 
reason  of  the  idolatries  and  other  vices  which  had  crept  in 
among  the  people.  In  obedience  to  the  divine  command 
he  forsook  his  father's  house  and  his  kindred,  and  taking 
his  father  with  him,  he  travelled  into  Canaan,  there  he 
pitched  his  tent,  and  built  an  altar ;  where  he  gave  him  no 
settlement  for  the  present,  (he  being  soon  after  obliged  to 
remove  into  Egypt,  and  sojourn  there)  but  there  he  re- 
ceived God's  promise,  that  his  posterity  should  inherit  and 
possess  the  whole  land,  though  at  the  time  of  this  pro- 
mise he  had  no  child,  nor  any  seeming  prospect  of  issue 
or  inheritance.  However,  God  confirmed  this  promise  to 
him  with  these  concurring  circumstances  ;  that  his  poste- 
rity should  first  live  in  Canaan,  and  after  that  go  down  into 
Egypt,  where  they  should  be  oppressed  and  afflicted,  till 


•  Angel.  Tills  is,  no  doubt,  a  proverbial  expression,  signifying  a  peculiar  de- 
gree of  majesty  and  dignity,  arising  from  a  transport  of  inward  joy,  in  the  cohr 
sciousness  of  his  innocence,  the  excellence  of  his  cause,  and  his  prospect  of  glory. 

Vol.  XL  3  O 


474  A  Complete  History 

the  end  of  four  hundred  years*  from  the  time  of  Isaac^s 
birth,  until  the  time  that  the  iniquity  of  the  seven  nations 
(all  concluded  under  the  general  name  of  Amorites,  which 
inhabited  this  promised  land)  should  be  filled  up,  and  they 
ready  for  God's  justice  to  destroy,  and  their  land  given 
away  from  them.  And  then  in  the  fourth  generation  from 
Jacob,  when  the  time  of  their  deliverance  from  the  Egyp- 
tian slavery  was  at  hand,  God  said,  I  will  judge  the  Egyp- 
tians, lay  heavy  punishments  upon  them,  and  make  them 
release  thy  posterity,  who  shall  come  and  possess  this 
land,  and  serve  me  in  it.  And  in  confirmation  of  this 
promise,  God  made  a  covenant  with  Abraham,  and  ap- 
pointed circumcision  as  a  seal  of  it,  and  accordingly  Abra- 
ham, when  Isaac  was  born,  circumcised  him  the  eighth 
day ;  and  Isaac  begat  the  patriarch  Jacob,  and  Jacob  his 
twelve  sons,  the  heads  of  the  twelve  tribes,  of  which  this 
people  consisted.  And  these  sons  of  Jacob  were  much  dis- 
pleased with  Joseph  one  of  their  brethren,  and  sold  him 
into  Egypt,  but  God  protected  miraculously,  and  preser- 
ved him,  delivering  him  from  prison,  and  at  the  same  time 
brought  him  into  great  favour  with  Pharaoh  the  king  of 
Egypt,  who  had  so  great  an  opinion  of  his  wisdom  and 
justice,  that  he  trusted  him  with  the  whole  management 
of  his  kingdom.  Whilst  Joseph  flourished  thus  in  the  fa- 
vour  of  this  prince,  a  terrible  famine  raged  in  Egypt  and 
Canaan  for  seven  years,  and  our  father  Jacob,  and  his 
children  were  in  danger  of  perishing  for  want  of  food. 
But   Jacob  understanding   that  there  was  a  magazine  of 

I  corn  reserved  in  Egypt,  sent  his  sons  thither  twice  to  buy 

I  corn  ;  and  though   at  first  Joseph  treated  them  roughly, 

i  yet   the   second  time  he  discovered   himself  to  be  their 

brother,  and  introduced  them  to  Pharaoh,  by  whose  or- 
der Joseph  sent  for  his  father,    and  brethren,  and  their 
I  children,  where,  with  their  families,  they  lived  comfort- 


•  Four  ffundred  Tears.  Many  good  critics  suppose  that  this  is  mentioned  here 
(as  in  Gen.  XV.  13,)  ^.s  a  round  sum,  without  taking  notice  of  the  broken  numbers, 
the  exact  time  being  four  hundred  and  thirty  years,  Exod.  xii.  40,  Gal.  iii.  17. 
Those  who  wish  to  consider  this  minutely  may  consult  bishop  Patrick  on  Geu.  xv 
13,  and  Drs.  Doddridge  and  Whitby,  on  Acts  vii.  6. 


of  the  Holy  Bible.  475 

ably :  at  length  Jacob  and  his  twelve  sons  died  there.  Jo- 
seph and  some  of  his  brethren,  being  firht  buried  in  Egypt, 
were,  at  the  time  of  the  deliverance  of  the  Israelites  from 
bondage  removed  to  Sichem,  and  buried  in  the  field 
bought  by  Jacob  of  die  children  of  Hamor ;  and  Jacob 
■was  not  buried  in  Egypt,  but  by  his  sons  carried  and  bu- 
ried in  the  field  of  Machpelah,  bought  by  Abraham  of 
Ephron,  the  son  of  Zohar.  But  when  the  four  hundred 
years  were  nearly  expired,  after  which  the  performance  of 
the  promise  made  to  Abraham's  seed  was  to  commence, 
the  people  becoming  numerous,  and  another  king,  that 
knew  not  the  merits  of  Joseph,  sitting  on  the  throne,  our 
fathers  suffered  great  hardships,  the  king,  to  suppress 
their  increase,  commanding  all  their  male  children  to  be 
put  to  death." 

*'  In  this  juncture  of  time  was  Moses  born,  who  being 
a  beautiful  child  *  was  first  kept  close  in  his  father's  house 
three  months.  But  when  they  could  no  longer  conceal 
him  there,  he  was  put  into  a  cradle  of  rushes,  and  laid 
by  the  river's  brink  ;  but  thus  left  and  exposed,  the  pro- 
vidence of  God  preserved  him  :  for  it  was  so  ordered, 
that  Pharaoh's  daughter  found  him  there,  and  put  him  to 
nurse  to  his  own  mother,  and  afterwards  educated  and 
brought  him  up  as  her  adopted  son.  By  these  means  he 
was  instructed  in  all  the  learning  of  the  Egyptians,  and 
became  a  considerable  man  among  them.  And  when  he 
was  forty  years  old,  Ood  having  revealed  to  him  his  pur- 
pose of  delivering  the  Israelites  from  their  slavery  by  his 
hands,  and  make  him  their  leader,  he  resolved  to  visit 
them :  and  seeing  an  Egyptian  task-master  offering  an 
injury  to  an  Israelite,  by  which  his  life  was  endangered, 
he  interfered  in  his  defence,  and  mortally  wounded  the 
oppressor.  This  he  did  as  an  act  of  that  office  to  which 
God  had  appointed  him  ;  and  apprehending  that  the  Is- 
raelites knew  that  he  was  designated  to  be  their  deliverer, 
he  killed  the  Egyptian,  as  a  first  essay,  or  exercise  of  that 


•  Beautiful  Child.  In  the  original  it  is  Fair  to  God,  or,  as  we  should  express  it  in 
modern  language,  divinely  fair ;  it  is  a  kind  of  Hebraism,  which  is  no  more  than 
an  emphatical  expression,  denoting  his  extraordinary  beauty. 


476  yl  Complete  His  tori/ 

office  :  but  in  this  he  was  mistaken^  for  they  did  not  as  yet 
discern  that  God  for  this  purpose  had  sent  him." 

"  The  next  day  he  interposed  as  a  pacifier  of  controver- 
sies among  them,  to  try  if  they  would  accept  him  as  a 
judge,  wiiich  was  another  part  of  the  office  for  which  he 
"was  designed :  but  the  aggressor  in  the  controversy  re- 
fused his  arbitration,  saying,  Wilt  thou  murder  me  as 
thou  didst  the  Egyptian  jesterday  ?  Moses  being  thus  re- 
pulsed, and  fearing  by  what  he  had  already  done,  that 
he  might  be  brought  into  trouble,  if  it  should  come  to  the 
king's  ear,  fled  from  thence  to  Midian,*  and  tarried  with 
Jethro,  the  priest  or  prince  of  the  country,  whose  daugh- 
ter he  married,  and  by  her  had  two  children." 

"  At  the  end  of  his  second  forty  years,  which  was  also 
the  period  of  the  predicted  four  hundred  years,  as  Moses 
was  tending  his  sheep  about  Horeb,  or  Sinai,  a  mount  fa- 
mous afterward  for  God's  delivering  the  law  from  its  sum- 
mit, he  saw  a  flame  of  fire  in  a  bush,  but  the  bush  was  not 
consumed  by  it ;  and  whilst  Moses  drew  near  to  see  the 
meaning  of  this  phenomenon,  the  voice  of  God  by  his  an- 
gel spake  to  him,  saying,  I  am  the  God  of  thy  Fathers,  the 
God  of  Abraham,  the  God  of  Isaac,  and  the  God  of 
Jacob.  This  voice  of  God  was  so  terrible  to  him,  and 
the  flame  that  appeared  in  the  bush  so  glorious  and  dazz- 
ling, that  he  could  not  look  upon  it.  Then  the  same 
voice  commanded  him,  in  reverence  to  the  place,  whicii 
was  in  the  presence  of  God,  to  put  off"  his  shoes  ;  adding, 
I  know  the  oppression  of  my  people,  and  will  certainly 
relieve  them  ;  and  therefore  commission  thee  to  be  their 
deliverer.  So  that  this  Moses,  whom  they  refused  to  be 
their  judge,  to  compose  their  differences,  did  God  make 
their  captain,  to  bring  them  out  of  Egypt,  shewing  many 
astonishing  miracles  before  they  were  delivered  from  their 


•  Midian.  As  Moses  had  acquired  every  branch  of  Egyptian  literature,  and 
had  also  the  prospect  of  the  highest  preferment,  it  must  have  been  a  peculiar  act 
of  self-denial  in  him  to  leave  the  polite  court  of  Egypt  and  live  as  a  retired  shep- 
herd in  Arabia.  But  St.  Paul  (Heb.  xi.)  ascribes  this  to  his  faith,  and  as  faith 
has  always  a  relerence  to  a  promise,  it  cannot  be  doubted,  that  he  had  respect  to 
the  deliverance  he  was  to  effectjas  well  as  to  the  iJiimatc  ••  recopipence  of  reward.'' 


of  the  UoJij  Bible.  477 

slavery,  and  afterwards  rescuing  them  from  the  hands  of 
Pharaoli  at  the  Red  Sea  ;  and  after  forty  years  sjjent  in  the 
w  ilderness  to  punish  their  murmuring,  and  to  shew  more 
of  God's  power  and  miraculous  preserving  and  sustain- 
ing them  there,  they  were  at  last  by  Joshua  brought  into 
Canaan." 

"  Now  Moses  was  all  this  while  but  a  prophet,  foretel- 
ling the  purpose  of  God  to  send  another  and  a  greater  pro- 
phet to  you  in  these  days,  the  Messiah,  and  warning  you 
to  receive  and  believe  on  him.  This  Moses  afterwards, 
when  the  people  were  encamped  in  the  wilderness,  was 
called  up  to  mount  Sinai,  where  the  law  was  delivered  to 
him  and  the  Israelites;  and  after  all  the  miracles  wrought 
by  God  to  give  him  authority  with  them,  the  Israelites 
murmured  and  rebelled  against  him  still,  and  inclined  to 
return  to  Egypt  again,  rather  than  submit  to  his  autho- 
rity ;  they  also  fell  into  idolatrous  practices  ;  for  under 
the  pretence  that  Moses  had  forsaken  them,  when  he  went 
only  up  to  the  mount  to  receive  God's  commands  for 
them,  they  made  themselves  gods,  after  the  manner  of  the 
Egyptians.  This  provoked  Jehovah  to  forsake  them,  to 
leave  them  to  themselves,  to  permit  them  to  follow  their 
own  inclinations,  which  led  them  to  worship  the  stars  of 
heaven  instead  of  God ;  who  therefore  expostulates  with 
them :  Were  the  sacrifices,  which  you  offered  up  in  the 
wilderness  all  those  forty  years,  offered  to  me,  O  housfe 
of  Israel  ?  Nay  as  the  grossest  idolatry,  ye  set  up  a  shrine 
with  the  image  of  one  of  the  Egyptian  kings  under  the 
title  of  Mars,  and  the  picture  of  Saturn  (another  planet, ) 
denoting  another  Egyptian  god  ;  and  these  images  of 
false  gods  ye  have  worshipped,  which  idolatry  will  pro- 
duce to  you  a  heavy  captivity.  These  fathers  of  ours, 
continued  Stephen,  had  the  ark  of  the  testimony  with 
them,  \\hich  was  made  exactly  according  to  tlie  pattern 
shewed  by  God  to  Moses.  This  their  successors,  under 
the  conduct  of  Joshua,  brought  with  them  into  Canaan, 
and  so  continued  till  David's  time;  who,  having  received 
special  favour  from  God,  earnestly  desired  to  build  a 
temple  for  his  service  ;  but  God  would  not  permit  him 
the  honour  of  building  it,  because  he  had  been  a  man  of 
war,  and  had  shed  much  blood ;  and  therefore  reserved 


478  *4  Complete  History 

it  for  his  son  Solomon,  who  built  it  in  a  most  sumptuous 


manner." 


And  now  Stephen,  having  by  this  historical  relation 
brought  his  discourse  to  the  point  in  hand,  he  closes  it 
with  an  application  to  the  present  occasion.  "  But  sure- 
ly, continues  he,  God  doth  not  so  dwell  in  this  temple, 
(who  hath  the  whole  world  for  his  palace)  as  that  he  should 
preserve  this  for  ever  from  being  destroyed,  since  you, 
by  crucifying  his  Son,  have  provoked  him  to  take  ven- 
geance on  you,  for  continuing  in  the  rebellions  of  your 
fathers :  for  if  David's  blood-guiltiness  made  him  incapa- 
ble of  building  it,  yours  will  render  you  unworthy  of 
having  it  continued  to  you.  For  as  your  fathers  perse- 
cuted and  slew  the  prophets  of  old,  who  foretold  the 
coming  of  the  Messiah,  so  ye,  now  he  is  actually  come, 
have  betrayed  and  murdered  him.  A  sin  heightened 
with  the  greatest  aggravations  imaginable,  whether  we 
consider  the  person  thus  treated  by  you,  or  you  that  used 
him  thus :  He,  the  holiest  person  in  the  world,  that  came 
to  be  your  Saviour  ;  and  you  the  people  of  God,  the  very 
men,  foi'  whose  sake  the  law  was  delivered  from  God  by 
the  ministry  of  angels,  and  by  them  to  you  ;  and  yet  you 
have  not  obeyed  it,  nor  embraced  him  which  came  to  per- 
fect that  law,  but  absolutely  rebelled  against  it  all." 

This  whole  discourse  of  Stephen's,  but  especially  the 
close  of  it,  foretelling  their  destruction  for  their  unbelief, 
wounded  them  deeply  ;  but  instead  of  producing  contri- 
tion, it  exasperated  them  the  more,  and  incensed  them 
against  him  to  such  a  degree,  that  iHey  resolved  up- 
on his  death,  with  all  the  expressions  of  rage  and  ma- 
lice. But  he,  inspired  with  an  holy  courage,  and  far  above 
all  fear  of  their  fury,  looking  up  to  heaven,  saw  the  ap- 
pearance of  angels  before  God,  and  Jesus  standing,  as  in 
a  posture  of  readiness  to  assist  and  help,  close  by  him. 
This  vision  so  animated  him,  that  he  could  not  forbear 
proclaiming  it  to  his  persecutors,  saying,  "  Behold  I  see 
the  heavens  opened,  and  the  Son  of  Man  standing  on  the 
right  hand  of  God."*     This  so  inflamed  their  cruel  zeal, 


•  God.  Some  suppose  that  the  heavens  were  really  divided,  or  rendered  trans- 
parent, so  that  the  glory  of  Chrigt  became  visible  to  his  bodily  eyes ;  but  it  is  more 


of  the  Ilohj  irthle.  479 

that  they  immediately  accused  him  of  blasphemy,  and 
dragged  him  out  of  the  city  to  stone  him ;  and  they  that 
were  the  evidences  against  him,  and  were  according  to 
the  law  to  be  his  executioners,  put  off  their  upper  gar- 
ments to  fit  themselves  for  their  work,  and  a  young  man, 
named  Saul,  ^ook  the  charge  of  them  during  this  furious 
assault,  Stephen  continued  invoking  his  great  Lord,  and 
saying,  "  Lord  Jesus  receive  my  Spirit;"  and  at  last  con- 
cluded in  this  charitable  expression  for  his  enemies  and 
murderers,  "  Lord,  lay  not  this  sin  to  their  charge." 
And  so  saying,  he  expired. 

Saul,  \\\\Q  was  afterwards  so  renowned  an  apostle,  was 
one  of  those  who  approved  of  the  stoning  of  Stephen, 
and  concurred  in  it.  Nor  did  the  storm,  which  burst  out 
so  violently  on  the  protomartyr,  cease  with  his  life  ;  the 
flaming  zeal  of  the  Jews,  exerting  itself  with  the  greatest 
fury  against  the  professors  of  the  christian  faith  at  Jeru- 
salem ;  all  of  whom,  except  the  apostles,  dispersed  them- 
selves in  Judea  and  Samaria,  and  preached  to  the  Jews  : 
but  the  apostles  continued  in  Jerusalem.  Stephen  being 
thus  crow  ned  with  martyrdom,  some  proselytes  that  were 
in  the  city  made  a  solemn  funeral  for  him,  and  sincerely 
lamented  his  death.  As  for  Saul,  he  continued  a  violent 
persecutor  of  the  faithful,  annoying  them  wherever  he 
found  them,  and  without  distinction  of  age  or  sex  com- 
mitted them  to  prison.  A\^hcrefore  those  that  had  dis- 
persed themselves  to  avoid  persecution,  and  Saul's  zea- 
lous rage,  retired  to  a  distance  ;  but  wherever  they  wan- 
dered, they  published  the  glad  tidings  of  the  gos|5el. 

In  the  number  of  those  scattered  disciples,  Philip,  the 
deacon,  was  pre-eminent ;  who  going  from  Judea  to  Sa- 
maria, preached  the  gospel  at  Sebaste,  one  of  its  cities  ; 
and  all  people  being  convinced  by  the  miracles  that  Philip 
wrought,  were  persuaded  to  receive  the  faith  of  Christ ; 
for  from  many  wh(j  were  possessed,  he  cast  out  devils, 
which,  on  that  occasion,  loudly    proclaimed  the  irresis- 


rational  to  suppose,  that  it  was  a  visionary  representation,  miraculously  impressed 
on  his  imagination.  So  (D».  Doddridge  observes)  Ezekiel  saw,  while  he  sat  in  his 
hausc  at  Babylon,  the  city  of  Jerusalem,     Ezek.  viii.  1,  4. 


4&0  A  Complete  History 

tibleness  of  the  power  by  which  they  were  expelled. 
But  previous  to  the  preaching  and  miracles  of  Philip,  there 
had  been  in  this  city  one  Simon,  a  magician,  who  had 
puzzled  and  amused  the  people  with  his  necromantic  tricks 
and  performances ;  and  having  for  a  long  time  imposed 
on  their  weakness  by  these  arts,  he  had  acquired  the  name 
of  Divine.*  But  when  PhiHp,  by  preaching  the  chris- 
tian faith,  and  by  the  performance  of  real  miracles,  had 
converted  many  to  Christianity,  they  became  proselytes  to 
the  gospel,  and  received  baptism  of  him  ;  and  even  Simon 
himself,  when  he  professed  to  give  credit  to  the  doctrines 
he  heard,  expressed  his  astonishment  at  the  miracles  he 
beheld,  and  was  actually  baptized. 

These  wonderful  proceedings  and  happy  successes  of 
Philip,  were  soon  related  to  the  apostles  at  Jerusalem ; 
who  being  desirous  that  these  new  converts  might  be 
further  confirmed  in  their  christian  profession,  by  those 
extraordinary  gifts  which  inferior  officers  in  tlie  church 
could  not  bestow,  sent  Peter  and  John  unto  them,  who, 
though  once  strongly  prejudiced  against  the  Samaritans, 
cheerfully  undertook  the  journey ;  and  being  with  them, 
implored  the  miraculous  powers  of  the  Spirit,  which  were 
immediately  granted,  upon  the  imposition  of  the  apostles' 
hands. 

Simon,  the  magician,  seeing  those  miraculous  effects 
follow  the  imposition  of  hands,  offered  to  give  the 
apostles  money,  if  they  would  convey  this  powerful  gift 
to  him.  But  Peter,  in  a  holy  indignation,  resenting  this 
affront  offered  to  the  sacred  function,  refusing  his  money, 
told  him,  *'  Thy  money  perish  with  thee,  and  thy  pro- 
iane  offer  of  it  will  call  for  mischief  on  thee,  for  thinking 
so  meanly  of  this  extraordinary  privilege,  bestowed  on  us 
by  Christ,  which  is  not  to  be  purchased  like  earthly  com- 
modities with  the  price  of  money :  thou  shalt  never  have 


•  Divine.  He  pretended  to  be  some  extraordinary  person.  Irenaeus  says,  that 
Simon  boasted,  he  had  appeared  to  the  Samaritans  as  the  Father,  to  the  Jews  as 
the  Son,  and  to  the  Gentiles  zstbe  Holy  Spirit;  and  Justin  Martyr,  says  he  as- 
serted that  all  the  names  of  God  were  to  be  ascribed  to  him,  and  that.he  was 
"  God  above  all  principality,  power,  and  virtue." 


of  the  Hohj  liihk.  481 

^ny  part  of  tills  divine  privilct^c,  nor  riglit  of  dispensing 
ihcse  holv  tliin<ji;s  ;  for  ihy  design,  in  desirin;»-  these  gifts, 
is  to  advance  lliy  own  credit  and  esteem  among-  men,  and 
not  to  enlarge  the  kingdom  of  Christ.  Ueijciu  therefore, 
and  humble  thyself  before  God  for  this  wicked  and  im- 
pious proposal,  and  humbly  beseech  him  to  pardon  thee; 
(for  it  is  not  impossible  that  it  may  yet  be  obtained)  for  I 
perceive  that  thou  art  in  a  condition  dangerous  to  thy- 
self, and  hateful  to  God."  Simon  beins:  convinced  of 
his  wicked  error,  and  affected  with  the  horror  of  his  guilt, 
implored  the  prayers  of  the  apostles  to  God  for  him,  to 
pardon  this  wickedness,  and  to  avert  those  punishments 
and  judgments  which  they  seemed  to  foretel  would  fall 
upon  him. 

The  aposdcs  having  confirmed  those  in  the  faith,  who 
were  baptized  by  Philip,  returned  to  Jerusalem,  and  as 
they  proceeded  on  their  journey,  preached  the  gospel  in 
many  other  towns  and  villages  of  Samaria  with  much 
success.  But  Philip  received  particular  orders  from 
heaven  by  an  angel  of  God,  \\\\o  commanded  him  to  tra- 
vel to  the  south.  Philip  obeyed  the  heavenly  vision,  and 
being  on  the  w^ay,  at  a  little  distance  observed  a  chariot 
with  a  splendid  retinue,  which  beloiiged  to  and  attended 
on  the  treasurer  of  Candace,  queen  of  Kthiopia,  who  being 
a*-  proselyte  to  the  Jewish  religion,  had  been  at  Jerusa- 
lem to  worship  the  God  of  Israel.  Whilst  Philip  was 
looking  on,  the  Spirit  of  God  directed  him  to  go  near  to 
the  chariot,  and  speak  to  him  that  rode  in  it.  Philip 
obeyed,  and  approaching  the  chariot,  heard  him  reading 
the  prophecy  of  Isaiah ;  and  asking  him  whether  he  un- 
derstood what  he  read,  the  treasurer  told  him  he  was  at 
a  loss,  and  desired  his  instruction :  whereupon  Philip 
ascended  the  chariot.  The  place  of  scripture  that  perplexed 
the  Ethiopian  was  this  :  "  He  was  led  as  a  sheep  to  the 
slaughter,  and  like  a  lamb  dumb  before  her  shearers  he 
opened  not  his  mouth;  in  his  humiliation  his  judgment 


•  Proselyte.  A  proselyte  is  one,  who  being  a  Gentile  bv.  birth  and  religion,  conacs 
over  to  the  Jewish  religion  in  Whole,  or  in  pait. 

Vol.  Ih  S? 


482  A  Complete  Histar^ 

was  tat  en  a\A'ay,  and  who  shall  declare  liis  generation  f 
lor  his  life  was  taken  from  the  earth."  This  text  he  de- 
sired Phihp  to  explain,  demanding,  whether  the  prophet 
spake  this  of  himself,  or  of  some  other  person?  Then 
Philip  began  at  this  text,  and  from  thence  preached  Je- 
sus to  him.  Upon  which  the  Ethiopian  was  converted, 
and  desired  to  be  baptised  ;  and  opportunely  seeing  a 
pool  of  water  near  the  road,  he  instantly  pressed  Philip 
to  perform  that  office ;  who  told  him  he  was  ready  to 
do  it,  provided  he  was  sincere  :  upon  which  the  other 
replied,  "  1  stedfastly  l)elieve  these  prophecies  of  the 
Messias  to  be  fulfilled  in  Jesus  Christ,  and  that  he  is  the 
Son  of  God."  Tlien  both  alighted  from  the  chariot  and 
A\ent  down  to  the  water,  where  Philip  baptized  him  ;  and 
lis  soon  as  they  were  come  up  from  the  water,  the  Spirit  of 
God  took  Philip  out  of  sight,  and  the  Ethiopian  was  left 
alone ;  who  returning  to  his  chariot,  went  with  joy  to  his 
own  country  ;  but  the  angel  conveyed  Philip  to  Azotus, 
who  j'.ll  the  way  he  went  preached  tlie  gospel  till  he  came 
to  Cjesa'rea. 

Notwithstanding  this  di'spersion  of  the  disciples,  per- 
secution still  rao:ed  a2:ainst  the  faithful,  wherever  thev 
lay  in  their  enemies'  way.  But  none  so  eminent  for  zeal 
and  cruelty  as  Saul,  whose  sanguinary  mind,  not  satiated 
with  Stephen's  death,  pushed  him  on  to  the  utmost  seve- 
rities against  the  Christians,  whonv  he  threatened  with  no- 
thing less  than  prisons  and  death.  And  to  quaHfy  him- 
self the  more  for  the  execution  of  this  bloody  purpose,  he 
requested  the  High-priest  to  enlarge  his  commission. 
The  Sanhedrim,  overjoyed  at  the  forwardness  of  this  fu- 
rious instrument,  immediately  dispatch  him  away  with 
power  to  seize  all  Christians,  and  send  tLem  bound  to 
Jerusalem  to  be  tried  ;  Jerusalem  being  the  metropolis  of 
Syria  as  well  as  Judea.  This  commission  was  highly 
pleasing  to  Saul's  cruel  spirit,  who  immediately  hastens  to 
Damascus  to  put  it  in  execution  ;  bu-t  while  he  was  on  the 
road  entertaining  himself  with  the  bloody  prospect,  God, 
in  mercy  to  him,  and  those  whom  he  went  to  persecute,, 
takes  him  off  from  his  wicked  purposes  :  a  bright  shining, 
cloud  encompassed  him,  which  struck  him  with  great  tcj- 
for,  as  at  the  presence  of  God,  who  he  knew  \\as  viout 


of  the  IhUj  BiUe.  483 

ll>ii5  to  exhibit  himself.  This  threw  hiin  prostrate  on  the 
ground,  where,  as  he  lay,  a  sudden  clap  oi"  thunder  inva- 
ded his  ears,  and  a  voice  out  of  it  sayinia;  to  him,  "  Saul, 
iSaul,  why  persecutest  thou  me  ?"  This  increased  his 
amazement,  and  being  desirous  to  know  the  meaning  of 
this  viiuon,  he  asks,  "  Who  art  thou,  Lord  ?"  The  voice 
replied,  "  I  am  Jesus  the  Nazarene,  whom  thou  perse- 
cutest ;  all  thy  fury  can  only  hurt  thyself,  but  cannot  do 
me  any  real  injury."  Saul,  perceiving  that  he  whom  he 
had  so  virulently  opposed  was  indeed  a  glorious  and 
powerful  person,  and  yet.,  instead  of  destroying  him, 
had  condescended  to  expostulate  with  Wm,  cried  out,  in 
the  amazement  and  consternation  of  his  soul,  "  Lord, 
"what  wilt  thou  have  rac  to  do  ?"  Tor  he  was  constrained  at 
once  to  decline  his  opposition  to  Chriist,  and  to  resign 
himself  entirely  to  his  disposal.  The  Lord  immediately 
replied,  "  Go  to  Damascus,  and  there  thou  shalt  know 
my  will."  The  attendants  were  struck  dumb  with  fear 
and  amazement,  wondering  that  they  should  hear  a  voice, 
but  see  no  man  speaking.  Therefore,  taking  up  Saul, 
they  led  him  to  the  city,  where,  in  a  sort  of  trance  or  ec- 
stacy,  he  continued  blind  three  daysj  without  receiving  a»y 
sustenance. 

At  the  time  of  this  w^onderful  traasaction,  there  was  at 
Damascus  a  certain  disciple  named  Ananias,  to  whom  the 
Lord,  in  a  vision,  gave  this  charge  :  "  Go  into  the  straight 
street,  and  inquire  at  the  house  of  one  Judas  for  Saul  of 
Tarsus,  for  I  have  revealed  to  him  in  a  vision,  that  he  shall 
recover  his  sight  by  imposition  of  thy  hands."  But  Aqa- 
nias,  well  knowing  Saul's  furious  temper,  the  fame  of 
which  had  been  too  sensibly  known  in  those  parts,  expos- 
tulated with  the  Lord,  for  putting  him  on  so  dangerous  an 
attempt.  But  the  Lord  said,  "  Obey,  for  I  have  chosen 
him  a  special  instrument  for  the  service  oi"  my  church,  to 
preach  my  gospel,  not  only  to  the  Jews,  but  to  the  gen- 
tiles :  and  as  fierce  as  he  hath  been  against  the  Christian 
faith,  he  shall  sufier  very  heavy  trials  for  my  sake,  labour 
most  abundantly  in  the  propagation  of  it,  and  at  last  lay 
down  his  life  for  it." 

.     Ananias  obeyed,  and  comin<^  to  the  house  where  Saul 
!«vas,    he   saluted   him   with  this  congratulatory    speech, 


484  yt  Complete  History 

"  Brother  Saul,  the  Lord  Jesus,  that  appeared  to  thee  on 
thy  way  to  Ditmascus,  hath  commissioned  me  not  only  to 
restore  thy  sight,  but  to  endow  thee  with  the  gifts  and 
graces  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  to  qualify  thee  for  the  service 
of  his  church,  to  which  thou  art  now  consecrated."  Im- 
mediately upon  this,  Saul  recovered  his  sight ;  and  was, 
by  baptism,  received  into  the  number  of  the  faithful ;  and 
havi^ig  taken  food  after  a  long  abstinence,  he  was  quickly 
strengthened,  and  recovered  his  former  health  and  vigour, 
uhich  it  was  his  immediate  care  to  employ  in  the  service 
of  his  new  master.  He  now  associated  with  the  disciples 
whom  he  came  to  persecute  ;  and,  in  a  very  short  time, 
began  to  preach  Christ  in  the  synagogues,  proving,  by  in- 
contestable arguments,  that  he  is  the  true  Messiah,  the  Son 
of  God. 

This  sudden  change  of  Saul  greatly  surprised  the  peo- 
ple of  Damascus,  who  remembering  that  he  had  so  lately 
been  concerned  in  the  death  of  Stephen,  a  violent  per- 
secutor of  the  Christians,  and  but  just  before  Was  sent 
ft-om  the  Sanhedrim  with  a  special  commission  to  that 
purpose,  could  scarcely  believe  him  sincere.  But  Saul 
every  day  increased  in  spiritual  strengtli,  and  was  soon 
able  to  repel  all  the  arguments  of  the  Jews,  enforcing 
his  own  with  such  evidence,  that  they  were  not  able  to 
deny  the  proofs  he  gave  of  Jesus  being  the  Messiah. 
This  Christian  courage,  and  spiritual  freedom  of  Saul, 
which  baffled  the  Jews  in  all  their  disputes,  so  exasperated 
them,  that  they  entered  into  a  conspiracy  against  him, 
resolving  to  destroy  him  ;  but  having  timely  notice,  he 
prevented  their  malice  by  an  honest  stratagem  :  for  the 
disciples  understanding  that  the  Jews  kept  a  constant 
guard  at  the  gates  of  the  city,  and  that  it  was  impossible 
to  convey  him  from  thence  by  day-light,  took  the  op- 
portunity of  the  darkness  of  the  night,  and  let  him  down 
the  wall  in  a  basket,  by  which  means  he  escaped  to  Jeru- 
ealem  ;  where,  when  he  offered  himself  to  the  conversa- 
tion of  the  faithful,  they  were  afraid  to  associate  with  him 
on  account  of  his  former  character ;  but  Barnabas  intro- 
ducing him  to  the  apostles,  vouched  for  his  sincerity,  de- 
claring the  manner  of  his  miraculous  conversion,  and  that 
in  confirmation  of  his  mission,  which  he  in  a  special  man- 


of  the  IhUj  Bible.  483 

ncr  hiid  received  from  the  Lord,  he  had  openly  prcnchcd 
at  Diiiuabciis  die  gcjspel  of  Christ.  Upon  this  assunmce 
he  uas  received  by  the  iipostles,  and  employed  in  the 
work  of  his  sacred  calling,  to  which,  by  his  Christian 
courage  and  great  abiHties,  he  was  a  bright  ornament. 
But  here  likewise,  as  before  at  Damascus,  signalizing 
himself  in  all  disputes  with  the  Jews  that  understood 
Greek,  they  were  so  enraged  at  his  pious  zeal,  that  they 
attempted  his  life ;  which  the  brethren  understanding, 
they  conveyed  him  from  Jerusalem  to  Caesarea,  and 
ihence  to  Tarsus,  the  place  of  his  birth. 

Now  all  the  Christian  assemblies  through  Judea,  Ga- 
lilee, and  Samaria,  were  indulged  with  the  quiet  use  of 
their  religion,  daily  improving  and  increasing  in  the  faith, 
and  building  on  that  foundation  the  pure  and  pious  prac- 
tice of  all  Christian  virtues.  And  as  Peter,  at  this  favour- 
able jimcture,  was  making  his  progress  through  all  the 
neighbouring  country,  to  instruct  and  confirm  the  new 
con\erts  in  the  faith  of  the  gospel,  he  paid  a  visit  to  the 
disciples  at  Lydda,  where  he  wrought  a  miraculous  cure 
^ipon  yEneas,  who  had  been  afflicted  eight  years  with  the 
palsy,  and  was  not  able  to  help  himself.  Upon  which  mi- 
racle,  the  inhabitants  of  Lydda  and  Saron  generally  re- 
eeived  the  faith.  At  this  time  there  was  at  Joppa  a  wo- 
man who  had  received  the  gospel,  whose  name  w-as 
Tabitha,  or  Dorcas,  who,  by  extraordinary  industry  and 
k\bour  in  her  profession  and  way  of  employment,  was  rea- 
dy to  do  all  good  offices  of  charity  and  liberality  to  the 
necessitous :  and  thus  full  of  good  works,  she  was  taken 
sick,  and  died.  Having  therefore  by  way  of  preparation 
for  her  interment  washed  her  body,  according  to  their  cus- 
tom of  burying,  they  laid  her  in  an  upper  room.  Now 
Lydda  being  near  Joppa,  the  disciples  sent  messengers  to 
Peter,  intreating  his  presence  among  them ;  and  when 
he  came  to  Joppa,  they  shewed  him  into  the  room  where 
Tabitha  was  laid  out,  and  the  poor  widows  who  had  been 
clothed  by  her  christian  bounty  came  seeping  to  Peter, 
and  shewed  him  the  garments  which  slie  either  made  her- 
self, or  caused  to  be  made,  as  monuments  of  her  cliarity. 
Then  Peter,  ordering  the  company  to  withdraw,  kneeled 
down  and  prayed ;  and,  turning  to  the  body,  said,  "  Ta- 


486  A  Complete  History 

bitha,  arise!"  Upon  which,  opening  her  eyes,  she  sat 
up;  and  Peter  giving  her  his  hand  helped  her  up,  and 
presented  her  alive  to  her  friends  that  lamented  her  loss. 
The  fame  of  this  miracle  soon  spread  through  the  place, 
and  multitudes  were  thereupon  converted  to  the  faith, 
being  no  longer  able  to  resist  such  evidences  of  the  truth 
of  the  gospel.  To  finish  diis  great  work  therefore,  Peter 
continued  some  time  at  Joppa,  taking  up  his  residence  in 
tlie  house  of  one  Simon  a  tanner. 

Upon  the  borders  of  Palestine,  about  seventy  miles 
from  Jerusalem,  stood  the  stately  city  of  Caesarea,  where 
the  Romans  kept  a  giirrison  to  awe  the  conquered  Jews, 
part  of  whicli  was  ca'lled  the  ItalianXohort,  or  band  of 
soldiers,  commanded  by  Cornelius,  who  was  a  man  of 
distinguished  piety,  and  worshipped  the  true  God,  and 
his  family,  led  by  his  pious  example,  did  the  same  ;  he 
w^as  also  remarkably  generous  to  the  poor,  and  abounded 
in  acts  of  devotion.  And  as  he  was  one  day,  at  three 
in  the  afternoon,  engaged  in  prayer,  he  saw  an  angel, 
who  called  him  by  his  name.  But  when  he  discerned 
it  to  be  a  message  from  God,  in  great  fear  and  astonish- 
ment, he  said,  "  Lord,  what  is  thy  pleasure  ?"  To  which 
the  angel  gave  this  comfortable  reply,  "  Thy  prayers 
and  the  alms  vA'ith  which  they  have  been  attended,  are 
come  up  into  the  Divine  presence,  as  a  grateful  memo- 
rial, more  pleasing  than  the  most  fragrant  incense ;  and 
he  is  now  about  to  afford  thee  a  singular  token  of  his  fa- 
%'our.  Send  a  message  therefore  to  Joppa,  and  at  the 
house  of  one  Simon  a  tanner,  near  the  sea-side,  inquire 
fbr  Simon,  whose  surname  is  Peter,  wlio  shall  instruct 
thee  in  the  knowledge  of  the  mercy  designed  thee,  and 
give  thee  directions  for  thy  whole  future  life."  The  an- 
gel being  gone,  Cornelius  called  two  of  his  menial  ser- 
vants, and  a  pious  soldier,  one  of  his  domestics,  whom» 
when  he  had  acquainted  with  the  wlwle  matter  of  the  visi- 
on, he  sent  off  to  Joppa. 

The  next  dav,  whilst  these  men  were  on  the  road,  and 
not  far  from  Joppa,  about  noon  Peter  went  up  to  the 
fiat  roof  of  ti^e  house  (a  place  conmiodious  for  devotion) 
to  itray ;  and  being  hungry,  would  have  eaten ;  but  he 


of  the  Iluhj  Bible.  487 

fell  into  an  ecstncy,  or  a  trance,*  and  in  a  vibion  seemed 
to  see  heaven  opened,  and  a  great  sheet  or  wrapper,  lied 
at  the  four  corners,  which  containing  all  sorts  of  crea- 
tures, clean  and  unclean,  denoting  the  Jews  and  Gentiles 
together,  was  let  down  to  the  earth  ;  and  there  came  a 
voice  to  Peter,  saying,  "  Rise,  kill  and  eat  !'*  But  Peter 
refused,  thinking  himself  bound  to  eat  nothing  that  was 
forbidden  by  the  law,  concerning  things  clean  and  un- 
clean. But  the  voice  spoke  to  him  a  second  time,  telling 
liim  God  hud  taken  away  those  interdicts  concerning 
meats ;  and  therefore  wl^ien  God  makes  no  distinclipn, 
he  ought  not  to  make  any.  After  three  admonitions,  the 
sheet  was  taken  up  into  heaven,  and  Peter  was  left  in 
great  perplexity,  seriously  considering  what  could  be 
the  meaning  of  this  visionary  representation.  While  he 
laboured  under  this  doubtful  anxiety,  the  men  who  were 
sent  from  Cornelius  were  just  come  to  Simon*s  house, 
and  stood  at  the  gate,  inquiring  for  Peter ;  at  which  in- 
stant of  time  it  was  revealed  to  Peter  by  an  inward  sug- 
gestion, that  three  men  inquired  for  him,  and  that  he 
must  go  along  with  them,  making  no  question  upon  those 
Jewish  scruples  of  the  unlawfulness  of  conversing  with  the 
Gentiles. 

Peter  immediately  obeyed  the  heavenly  admonition, 
and  went  down  to  the  men,  demanding  the  cause  of  their 
coming  ;  who  tell  him,  that  Cornelius,  a  pious  centu- 
rion, and  generally  well  esteemed  by  the  Jews,  had 
seen  a  vision,  and  therein  was  commanded  b}"  an  angel 
of  God  to  send  for  him  to  come  to  him,  that  he  might 
hear  something  of  great  moment  from  him.  Then  in- 
viting them  into  the  house,  he  entertained  them  that 
night ;  and  tiie  next  morning  Peter  w:ent  from  Joppa  at- 
tended with  several  of  the  brethren  to  Ciesarea,  where 
thev  the  next  dav  arrived ;  and  Cornelius,  to  shew  the 
greater  respect  to  his  venerable  guest,  had  invited  his 
kindred   and   friends  to  join  with  him  in  the  reception. 


•  Tra-^.ce.  The  xs-ord  ixs-is-*.-  signifies,  "  the  rapture  of  the  mindi'*  when  the 
external  senses  being  suspended,  God  reveals  himself  in  a  peculiar  maTmer  to  bis 
servants,  tlie  prophet*  or  apostles,  Acts  x,  10,  xi.  !?• 


488  A  Complete  Histonj 

Peter  and  his  company  being  arrived  at  Ceesarea,  Corne- 
lius met  him  at  his  door,  and  considering  him  as  an  an- 
gel sent  immediately  from  heaven,  he  behaved  himself 
with  the  greatest  humility,  falling  down  at  his  feet 
to  pay  him  homage;  but  Peter  would  not  permit  this, 
telling  him,  as  he  raised  him  from  the  ground,  that  him- 
self was  no  more  than  a  man,  though  God  had  employed 
him  on  this  errand.  Then  addressing  himself  to  the  com- 
pany, he  thus  begun  :  "  Ye  all  know  that  the  laws  of 
the  Jewish  religion  permit  not  a  Jew  to  converse  with 
any  Gentile  ;  but  God  hath  by  a  vision  revealed  to  me,  that 
I  should  not  make  anv  dificrence  between  Jews  and  Gen- 
tiles.  Therefore  I  came  to  you  without  scruple,  as  soon 
as  I  was  sent  for :  I  desire  therefore  to  know  the  cause  of 
your  sending  for  me  ?" 

Cornelius,  with  the  greatest  frankness  and  seriousness, 
answered  for  the  company  :  "  four  days  since  I  was  fasting 
until  this  time  of  the  day,  and  at  three  of  the  clock  re- 
tiring to  prayer,  an  angel  appeared  to  me  in  human 
form,  in  bright  apparel,  and  said,  "  Cornelius,  thy 
prayer  is  heard,  and  thy  alms  recorded  in  the  book  of 
heaven  ;  send  therefore  to  Joppa,  and  inquire  at  Simon 
the  tanner's  for  Peter,  who,  when  he  cometh,  shall  in- 
struct thee  what  to  do."  In  obedience  to  the  divine  de- 
cree I  sent  to  thee,  and  thus  far  all  tilings  in  the  vision 
are  fulfilled.  It  now  only  remains  that  thou  instruct  us 
fiirther  in  the  will  of  God  ;  for  we  are  here  assembled  in 
his  presence,  and  disposed  to  hear  with  becoming  rever- 
ence and  attention  all  those  things  which  God  hath  given 
thee  in  charge." 

Then  Peter,  kiying  aside  all  personal  distinctions  and 
prerogatives,  makes  the  following  improvement  of  the 
former  vision:  "  I  now  plainly  perceive,  and  am  fully 
satisfied,  whatever  my  former  prejudices  were  as  to  the 
difference  between  the  Jews  and  the  Gentiles,  that  God, 
the  great  Father  of  the  \\hoie  human  race,  is  no  respecter 
of  persons,  and  accepts  no  man  merely  because  he  is  of 
such  a  nation,  nor  does  he  mean  to  confine  his  favours 
to  the  seed  of  Abraham  :  the  middle  wall  of  p:irtiiion  is 
broken  down,  so  that  prosel)'tes,  and  pious  men  of  every 
nation,  arc  equally  acceptable  to  hiai,  and  jnay  be  freely 


of  the  Holy  Bible.  4a^ 

admitted  to  partake  of  the  blessings  of  the  gospel.  The 
doctrine  wliicl-j  hath  been  preached  throiiijh  all  Judca,  and 
took  its  rise  from  Galilee,  just  in  your  neighbourhood, 
after  John's  preaching  and  baptizing,  concerning  Jesus 
of  Nazareth,  is  no  strange  thing  to  you  ;  how  by  the  tes- 
timony of  the  Holy  Ghost  descending  on  him,  and  by 
the  power  of  working  miracles,  God  authorized  him  ;  and 
accordingly  he  hath  executed  his  office,  in  calling  to  re- 
pentance, curing  diseases,  and  casting  out  devils,  by  the 
power  of  God,  which  was  present  with  him.  Of  all  which 
wonderful  things  performed  by  him  we  are  witnesses,  and 
likewise  of  his  crucifixion  and  resurrection,  that  grand 
triumph  over  death.  But  this  manifestation  was  not  im- 
mediately made  to  all  the  Jews,  but  only  to  his  disciples, 
whom  God  had  inclined  to  leave  all  and  follow  Christ ;  and 
as  he  had  chosen  them  to  be  witnesses  of  all  that  Christ 
did  when  he  was  living,  so  he  ordained  them  witnesses 
of  his  resurrection,  giving  them  the  honour  of  eating  and 
drinking  w  ith  him  after  he  rose  from  the  dead.  And  this 
God  hath  appointed  us  to  publish,  and  to  proclaim  to  all 
the  world,  that  this  crucified  Christ  is  raised  to  God's 
right  hand,  to  be  Judge  of  all  men.  This  is  he,  of  whom 
all  the  prophets  foretold,  that  whosoever  believeth  in  him 
shall  receive  the  forgiveness  of  their  sins  by  his  name, 
though  their  crimes  be  ever  so  heinous." 

Whilst  Peter  was  thus  speaking,  the  Holy  Ghost  came 
down  upon  the  whole  audience,  and  inspired  them  v^ith 
his  gifts  and  graces  ;  which  was  a  wonderful  confirmation 
of  the  preceding  visions,  and  that  part  of  Peter's  d^- 
course  concerning  the  removal  of  the  distinction  between 
the  Jews  and  Gentiles.  And  this  more  particularly  afr 
fected  the  Jews  who  had  received  the  gospel,  who  seeing 
the  Holy  Ghost  equally  inspiring  this  assembly,  were 
convinced,  and  praised  God  for  this  impartial  distribution 
of  his  mercies.  Then  Peter,  by  way  of  application  of 
what  he  had  before  preached,  says,  "  There  is  no  scruple 
to  be  made  of  receiving  these  to  the  privileges  of  the  gos- 
pel, although  they  be  Gentiles,  since  God,  by  the  imme- 
diate descent  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  hath  granted  them." 
Upon  which  they  were  all  baptized  in  the  name  of  the 

Vol.  ir.  3  Q 


490  A  Complete  History 

Blessed  Trinity ;  Peter,  at  their  earnest  request,  tarrying 
some  time  with  them. 

Before  Peter's  return  from  Cccsarea,  the  apostles  and 
disciples  at  Jerusalem  had  heard  that  the  people  of  other 
countries,  who  were  not  Jews,  had  embraced  the  doc- 
trine of  Christ.  And  at  Peter's  coming  to  Jerusalem, 
the  Jewish  Christians,  who  still  adhered  strictly  to  the  ob- 
servation of  the  Mosaical  law  of  circumcision,  of  ab- 
staining from  unclean  things,  and  conversing  with  men 
of  other  nations,  accused  Peter  of  too  much  freedom  in 
conversing  with  those  that  were  not  circumcised,  and 
eating  with  them,  which,  according  to  the  law  of  the 
Jews,  was  forbidden.  But  Peter  made  his  apology  by 
giving  them  an  exact  account  of  the  whole  proceeding, 
with  the  occasion  of  it :  and  at  last  draws  this  conclusion 
from  it;  "  Since  God  hath  been  pleased  to  allow  these 
Gentiles  the  same  privileges  with  us  who  have  been  his 
constant  disciples,  and  since  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost 
hath  been  likewise  imparted  to  them,  it  must  in  me  have 
been  direct  disobedience  to  God,  if  I  had  declined  re- 
ceiving them  into  the  church,  or  refused  to  preach  to 
and  converse  Mith  them."  With  this  account  of  the  mat- 
ter they  were  perfectly  satisfied,  and  blessed  God,  who 
had  communicated  the  same  mercy  to  the  Gentiles  as  to 
the  Jews.  But  still  the  disciples,  who  were  dispersed  up- 
on the  persecution  and  death  of  Stephen,  preached  the  gos- 
pel to  the  Jews  only. 

After  this,  the  apostles  being  informed  of  the  further 
"progress  of  the  gospel  at  Antioch,  and  desirous  of  con- 
'firming  them  in  the  faith,  sent  thither  Barnabas,  a  pious 
'Ywww  endued  Vvith  nmny  excellent  gifts,  Mho,  being  highly 
deliglited  Vvith  the  pleasing  effects  of  the  word  among 
thc'm,  exhorted  them  all  to  adhere  to  the  Lord  witli  full 
determination  of  heart.  The  exhortations  of  this  worthy 
man  were  attended  with  a  peculiar  blessing  ;  for  those 
who  had  embraced  the  gospel  were  confirmed  in  the  faith, 
and  a  considerable  number  believed,  and  were  received 
into  the  church. 

Barnabas  having  effected  his  design  at  Antioch,  and 
w  ishing  for  an  assistant  in  his  labours,  left  that  place  for 
Tarsus  in  search  of  Saul,  and  iinding  him  there,  returned 


of  the  Holy  Bible.  491 

with  him  to  Antioch,  uherc,  for  a  whole  year,  they  re- 
sorted to  the  pluee  of  public  assemblies,  instructing  and 
confirming  all  that  came.  And  those  tiiat  had  receivetl 
the  iailh  of  Christ  being  before  called  Nazarites  or  Ga- 
lileans, were  first  of  all  in  Antioch  styled  Christians.* 

About  this  time,  some  of  the  chief  men,  who  possessed 
the  gift  of  prophecy,  came  by  the  appointment  of  the 
church  at  Jerusalem  to  Antioch  ;  and  one  of  them  named 
Agabus,  by  revelation  from  the  Spirit  of  God,  foretold 
that  there  should  shortly  be  a  very  great  famine  through 
all  the  adjacent  countries ;  which  accordingly  came  to 
pass  in  the  reign  of  the  Emperor  Claudius ;  upon  which 
the  Christians  in  all  places,  according  to  their  ability, 
resolved  to  send  relief  to  the  Christians  in  Judea  in  this 
time  of  dearth  ;  and  this  accordingly  they  did,  forward- 
ing their  bounty  to  the  care  of  the  elders  of  the  church  at 
Jerusalem,  by  the  faithful  hands  of  Barnabas  and  Saul. 

About  this  time,  being  the  forty-third  year  of  Christ, 
Herod  Agrippa,  grandson  to  Herod  the  Great,  having 
obtained  great  part  of  his  dominions,  and  so  calling 
himself  by  his  name,  resolved  to  persecute  the  Christians, 
especially  the  apostles  at  Jerusalem,  merely  to  gratify  the 
Jews.  And  in  this  persecution^  James  the  apostle,  the 
son  of  Zebedee,  was  beheaded  by  Herod's  command,  f 
Perceiving  that  this  cruel  action  was  very  acceptable  to 
the  Jews,  whose  favour  he  was  fond  of  conciliating,  he 
■was  determined  to  proceed,  and  therefore  apprehended 
Peter  also  about  the  time  of  the  Passover  :  and  having 
imprisoned  him,  he  set  a  guard  of  sixteen  soldiers  over 
him,  intending  after  the  Passover  to  bring  him  forth  to 
the  Jews,  and,  if  they  approved  of  it,  to  put  him  to 
death.     During  Peter's  confinement,  the  church  ceased 


•  Christians.  So  denominated,  as  many  think,  by  an  intimation  from  heaven  : 
the  name,  however,  is  eminently  significative,  and  should  remind  all  who  bear  it 
of  the  propriety  of  resembling  that  holy  person  from  whom  they  derive  it. 

•j-  Thus  was  our  Lord's  prediction  concerning  him  fulfilled,  Matt.  xx.  23 ;  and 
thus  would  the  heroic  courage  of  the  rest  of  his  ministers  be  displayed  in  proceed- 
ing with^flieir  work,  as  it  would  plainly  shew  that  their  miraculous  powers  did 
not  secure  them  from  dying  by  the  sword  of  their  enemies. 


492  A  Complete  History 

not  to  offer  up  their  constant  prayers  for  his  preserva- 
tion.    And  the  night   before    Herod   intended   to  bring 
him  to  the  assembly,  to  have  their  suffrage  to  condema 
him,  whilst  Peter  was  sleeping,  more  securely  under  the 
protection  of  heaven  than  his  double  chains  and  guard, 
an  angel  descended  in  a  bright  cloud,  \a  hich  illuminated 
the  prison,  and  touching  his  side,  bid  him  arise.     Upon 
which,  awaking,   he  found  his  fettered  limbs  at  liberty. 
Then  the  angel  commands  him  to  dress  himself,  and  fol- 
low  him.     Peter,  in   some  disorder  obeyed,  not  know- 
ing what  was  really  done,  but  thought  he  had  been  in  a 
dream  or  trance.     The  prison  being  in  the  suburbs,  they 
passed  the  first  and  second  wards,  where  watch  was  kept 
every  night  without  the  gates ;  and  at  last  they  came  to 
the  iron-gate  that  led  to  the  city,  which  opening  to  them 
of  its  own  accord,  they  passed;  and  when  they  had  gone 
through  it   into  the   street,   the  heavenly   guide   having 
carried  his  sacred  charge   out  of  danger  of  the  guards, 
disappeared,    leaving   Peter   alone.     By   this  time  Peter 
was  perfectly  awake,  and  considering  what  had  happened, 
he  said  to  himself,  "  Now  I  am  satisfied  that  God  hath 
sent  his  angel  to  deliver  me  from  the  hands  of  Herod, 
and  from  the  expectation  of  the  Jews."     And  as  he  was 
ruminating   on  his   miraculous   escape,    he  came  to  the 
house   of  Mary,  a   place   where   many    Christians   were 
spending  the  night  in  earnest  prayer  for  his  deliverance  ; 
and  God  had  graciously  answered  them,  for  he  had  dis- 
charged the  prisoner  for  whom  they  were  so  much  con- 
cerned.    Peter  knocking  at  the  door,  a  damsel,  named 
Rhoda,  came  to  know  who  it  was,  and  hearing  Peter  an- 
swer, she,  overjoyed  to  hear  his  voice,  ran  into  the  house, 
and  acquainted  the  company  that  Peter  was  at  the  door. 
They  told  her  she  was  mad  :   but  she  persisted  in  her  first 
report.     Then  the)'  being  moved  with  her  constant  af- 
firming  of  it,    thereupon   concluded,  that  though  Peter 
himself  could  not  be  there,  vet  there  was  some  *  messen- 


•  Messenger.  The  word  angel,  which,  by  way  of  excellence,  is  put  to  denote 
the  immortal  spirits  attending  on  God,  doth  primarily,  and  in  the  common  use, 
isignify  a  messenger,  and  from  thence  only  denote  those  spirits,  because  they  are 


oflht  Iluly  Bible.  4t>3 

cjer  sent  from  him,  ^vho  might  mention  his  name.  But 
whilst  they  were  tlius  debating-  among  themselves,  Peter 
coiitiniiccl  knocking  ;  and  w  hen  they  had  let  him  in,  they 
were  exceedingly  surprised  to  see  him  in  person.  But 
lest  their  joy  might  discover  his  escape  to  the  neighbour- 
hood,  he  beckoned  to  them  with  his  hand  to  be  silent, 
■\vhilst  he  related  how  wonderfully  God  had  delivered  him 
out  ol"  the  hands  of  his  enemies.  He  also  bid  them  go 
and  immediately  acquaint  James  with  this  good  newsj 
that  it  mioht  be  communicated  to  the  rest  of  the  bre- 
thren  ;  he  then,  very  prudently,  separated  from  them, 
and  went  to  a  place  of  greater  security,  to  avoid  the 
search  which  he  knew  would  of  course  be  made  among 
his  friends  and  acquaintance ;  and  therefore  he  departed 
to  Ccesarea,  where  he  staid  till  the  noise  of  his  escape  was 
over. 

The  next  morning,  as  soon  as  it  w'as  day,  the  soldiers 
missing  their  prisoner,  were  in  the  utmost  confusion, 
none  being  able  to  imagine  by  what  means  he  could  es- 
cape ;  which  Herod  hearing  of,  he  sent  for  the  guard, 
and  strictly  examined  them. ;  but  they  being  unable  to 
give  any  satisfactory  account  of  the  matter,  and  thinking' 
it  unsafe  to  admit  any  idea  of  a  miraculous  interposition 
in  favour  of  a  man  whom  they  had  devoted  to  destruction, 
ordered  them  to  be  immediately  led  away  to  execution  for 
their  negligence. 

At  this  time  there  was  some  misunderstanding  be- 
tween Herod  and  the  inhabitants  of  Tyre  and  Sidon, 
against  whom  he  was  about  to  declare  war.  But  they, 
dreading  his  power,  made  interest  with  Blastus,  Herod's 
chamberlain,  to  intercede  for  them,  and  make  up  the 
matter ;  for  they  could  not  subsist  without  his  favour. 
Upon  this  occasion  Herod  appointed  a  day  to  hear  and 
determhie  the  business  ;  and  being  dressed  in  his  royal 
robes,  and  seated  on  his  throne,  he  made  a  speech  to  them. 


messengers  of  God,  employed  by  him  :  and  consequently,  it  may  signify  here  no 
more  than  a  messenger  from  St.  Peter;  so  it  doth  Matthew  xi.  10,  Mark  i.  2. 
Liike  vii.  27,  &c.  And  so  the  angels  of  the  churches  were  not  those  immortal 
spirits,  Rev.  i.  19,  but  ministers,  the  messengers  of  God  to  the  people. 


494  A  Complete  History 

The  fawning  crowd  thinking  to  ingratiate  themselves,  and 
please  the  tyrant's  pride  with  flattering  applause,  rent  the 
sky  with  their  noisy  shouts,  crying  out,  "  It  is  the  voice 
of  a  God,  and  not  of  a  man."  Herod,  with  secret  pride 
and  vanity  assumed  that  praise  to  himself  which  belonged 
only  to  God ;  and  this  blasphemy,  added  to  his  bloody  ' 
persecutions  and  other  sins,  rendered  him  ripe  for  divine 
vengeance,  which  immediately  seizing  him  with  inexpres- 
sible torment  in  his  bowels,  terminated  in  a  speedy  morti- 
fication, and  deprived  him  of  *  life  :  a  just  reward  for  af- 
fecting the  titles  due  to  God,  from  the  clamorous  and 
undiscerning  populace. 

This  tyrant  thus  removed,  the  gospel  flourished  and  in- 
creased, new  converts  being  daily  added  to  the  faith. 
Barnabas  and  Saul,  having  discharged  their  trust,  in  car- 
rying the  necessary  provision  appointed  for  the  relief  of 
the  poor  Christians  at  Jerusalem,  and  other  parts  of  Judea, 
returned  from  thence  to  Antioch,  and  took  along  with 
them  John,  whose  surname  was  Mark.f 

In  the  church  at  Antioch  there  were  several  prophets 
and  teachers  of  eminence ;  and  as  they  were  ministering 
to  the  Lord  in  public,  and  joined  prayer  to  fasting,  the 
Holy  Spirit,  by  immediate  revelation,  directed  them  to 
appoint  Barnabas  and  Saul  to  the  extraordinary  work  of 
preaching  the  gospel  among  the  Gentiles,  for  which  God 
had  already  designed  them.  In  order  to  this,  they  ap- 
pointed a  solemn  day  of  fasting  and  prayer,  and  by  im- 
position of  hands  ordained  them  to  the  work  for  which 
God   had   appointed  them.     Having  thus  received  their 


•  This  was  the  end  of  Herod  Agrippa,  grandson  of  that  inhuman  tyrant  Herod 
the  Great,  the  destroyer  of  the  infants  of  Bethlehem :  his  father  Alexander,  born 
of  Mariamne,  was  put  to  death  with  his  brother  Arlstobulus  many  years  before,  by 
Herod,  whose  whole  posterity  was  finally  exterminated ;  and  Herod  Agrippa, 
who  killed  James,  the  Lord's  brother,  and  first  bishop  of  the  church  of  Jerusalem, 
fell  in  the  manner  here  related,  by  the  just  vengeance  of  lieaven. 

•j-  Mark.  This  appears  to  have  been  a  different  person  from  Mark  the  Evan- 
gelist, who  was  the  convert  and  companion  of  Peter.  This  John  Mark  was  the 
nephew  of  Barnabas,  who  had  a  great  affection  for  him,  and  took  him  with  him 
in  several  of  his  journies-. 


^ the  Holy  B'llic.  495 

commission  from  God  himself,  they  set  out  for  Sclcucia, 
nnd  from  thence  sailed  to  Cyprus,  where,  in  the  city  of 
Salamis,  they  publicly  preached  the  gospel  in  the  syna- 
p^ogues  of  the  Jews,  having  Mark  with  them  as  their  at- 
tendant. PVom  Salamis  they  travelled  through  the  island 
to  Paphos,  another  city  of  Cyprus,  where  the  temple  of 
Venus  was.  Here  they  met  with  Barjesus,  a  magician* 
and  false  prophet,  who  being  intimate  with  Sergius  Pau- 
lus,  the  proconsul,  a  prudent  and  virtuous  man,  who  was 
inclinable  to  receive  the  faith,  did  all  he  could  to  divert 
him  from  the  conversation  of  these  two  apostles.  But 
Pauljf  being  in  an  extraordinary  manner  under  the  in- 
fluence of  the  Holy  Spirit,  in  a  holy  rage,  lixing  his  eyes 
on  Barjesus,  he  thus  expressed  his  abhorrence,  "  O  vile 
sorcerer  !  Like  the  devil,  by  whom  thou  workest,  thou 
art  an  enemy  to  all  goodness  ;  wilt  thou  persist  in  de- 
fiance of  the  faith  of  Christ,  which  comes  armed  with  a 
much  greater  power  of  miracles  than  those  to  which  thou 
falsely  pretendest  ?  Thou  shalt  soon  feel  the  vengeance  of 
heaven  upon  thyself;  for  thou  that  perversely  opposest 
the  light  of  the  gospel  shalt  lose  thy  sight,  which  by  the 
immediate  power  of  God  shujl  be  taken  from  thee  for  a 
time."  And  immediately  he  was  struck  blind,  imploring 
the  aid  of  some  kind  hand  to  lead  him.  'J'his  miraculous 
act  upon  the  sorcerer  convinced  tiie  proconsul,  and  he  was 
converted  to  the  faith. 


•  Magic'tan.  The  word  elymas,  in  the  Arabian  language,  signifies  knowing 
and  skilful,  and  is  applied  to  those  that  know  things  divine  and  human.  So 
the  word  magos,  with  the  Greeks,  is  the  title  of  their  wise  men  skilled  in  the  se- 
cret learning,  and  whom  sve  originally  call  Magicians.  Others  derive  this  name 
from  the  Arabic  word  alaini,  which  signifies  one  acquainttd  •with  bidden  secrets, 

■\-  Paul.  There  are  several  accounts  of  Saul's  two  names.  But  the  most  prO/- 
.bable  of  them  is  that  of  Origen,  in  the  Preface  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Romans  ; 
where  he  saith,  th:»£  Saul  being  a  Jew  born  in  a  city  of  the  Romans,  had  at  his 
circumcision  two  names,  Saul  a  Jewish,  and  Paul  a  Roman  name.  And  thiis 
is  agreeable  to  the  form  of  speech  in  Acts  xiii.  9,  "  But  Saul,  who  is  also  Paul," 
noting  him  to  have  had  two  names  at  once,  and  nor  to  have  changed  one  for  the 
(»tVier. 


496  *        A  Complete  History 

Having  performed  great  things,  and  converted  nfanj'j 
he  with  his  company,  except  John,  who  returned  to  Je- 
rusalem, went  by  sea  from  Paphos  to  Perga  in  Pamphylia, 
and  from  thence  to  Antioch  in  Pisidia,*  where,,  on  a 
sabbath-day,  going  into  a  synagogue,  they  sat  down; 
and  after  the  lessons,  one  out  of  the  law,  the  other  out 
of  the  prophets,  it  being  the  custom  for  the  Jewish  doc- 
tors to  expound  some  part  of  the  scripture  for  the  in- 
struction of  the  people,  the  chief  persons  of  the  assem.- 
bly  which  were  present  sent  to  Paul  and  his  companions, 
to  know  whether  they  were  disposed  to  speak  to  the  con- 
gregation. Whereupon  Paul  gladly  embracing  this  op- 
portunity, and  beckoning  with  his  hand  for  silence,  thus 
addressed  himself  to  the  congregation  :  "  Attend  ye  men 
of  Israel,  and  all  you  that  fear  God.  It  was  your  God, 
the  God  of  Israel,  that  chose  Abraham,  and  promised  to 
bless  and  multiply  his  seed,  and  accordingly  performed 
it,  increasing  them  to  a  great  number,  even  when  they 
were  slaves  in  a  strange  land,  from  which  he  miracu- 
lously delivered  them  :  and  for  forty  years,  though  they 
murmured  and  rebelled  against  him,  he  treated  them  with 
paternal  care,  destroying  seven  nations  in  the  land  of  Ca- 
naan to  make  room  for  them.  After  that,  for  the  space 
of  four  hundred  years,  he  gave  them  a  series  of  judges, 
by  whose  heroic  interposition,  he  delivered  them  from 
those  repeated  oppressions  and  miseries  which  their  fre- 
quent revolts  to  idolatry  had  brougiit  upon  them  ;  this 
sort  of  government  lasted  till  Samuel's  time,  who  being  a 
prophet,  ruled  them  in  God's  name  and  stead  for  a  time  ; 
of  whose  peaceful  government  being  weary,  they  desi- 
red a  king ;  upon  which  God  gave  them  Saul  the  son  of 
Kish,  who  governed  them  two  and  forty  years  :  and  when 
God  in  his  displeasure  had  removed  him,  he  gave  them 
David  to  be  their  king,  who,  God  promised,  siiould  rule 
his  people  after  his  own  ^^  ill.  From  this  man's  posterity, 
as  he  promised,  diJ  Jesus  descend,  appointed  by  God  ta- 


•  This  is  called  Antiock  in  PJsidia,  to  distiaiguish  it  from  Antioch  in  Syria,  so 
frequently  mentioned  in  this  Liitory. 


of  the  Hahj  Bihk.  497 

be  the  Saviour  of  Israel.  This  is  the  illustrious  person 
>\liom  God  so  often  promised  to  send  into  liie  world  ;  and 
John  the  Baptist  having  been  sent  before  as  his  herald, 
and  having  j)reached,  lo  introduce  his  ajjpearance,  the 
l^uptisni  of  repc'ntance,  declared  that  he  was  not  the  Mes- 
siah, but  his  forerunner,  and  not  worthy  to  be  even  his 
menial  servant. 

"  And  now,  brethren,  this  gospel,  which  Christ  brought 
into  the  world,  is  sent  to  be  proclaimed  and  made  known 
to  you.  For  the  Sanhedrim  and  people  of  Jerusalem, 
iiotwithstanding  the  prophecies  which  foretold  his  com- 
ing, the  many  miracles  he  wrought,  and  the  good  he  did 
among  them,  adjudged  him  to  death,  and  so  have  fulfilled 
the  prophecies  concerning  him.  And  though  he  was  per- 
fectly innocent,  no  just  accusation  being  brought  against 
him,  yet  by  clamours  and  threatenings  they  never  ceased 
importuning  Pilate  till  they  crucified  him.  And  when 
they  had  fulfilled  the  scripture  concerning  him,  by  exert- 
ing their  malice  against  him,  they  took  him  from  the 
cross,  and  burying  him  in  a  sepulchre,  they  set  a  watch  to 
guard  it,  and  prevent  his  resurrection.  But  after  all  their 
vigilance,  God  raised  him  from  the  dead.  Forty  days  af- 
ter this  he  continued  upon  earth,  and  was  seen  several 
times  to  converse  with  his  disciples,  and  others,  who  from 
the  beginning  had  attended  on  him,  and  who  do  now  testi- 
fy the  truth  of  all  these  things  to  the  Jews.  And  the  sub- 
ject of  this  gospel,  which  we  preach  to  you,  is  the  promise 
made  to  our  fathers,  which  God  hath  now  fulfilled  in  rais- 
ing Jesus  from  the  dead.  Of  which  also  that  in  the  second 
Psalm  was  a  prophecy,  when  it  was  said,  '■'  Thou  art  my 
Son,  this  day  have  I  begotten  thee."  To  the  same  purpose 
also,  that  God  should  not  only  raise  him  from  the  dead, 
but  also  secure  him  never  any  more  to  die,  are  those  two 
other  prophecies ;  one  of  Isaiah  Iv.  3,  "I  will  give  you 
the  sure  mercies  of  David  :"  the  expression  of  an  ever- 
lasting covenant,  spoken  literally  to  the  people  of  Israel, 
that  God  would  perpetuate  to  them  the  mercy  j^romisecj 
to  David,  that  of  giving  one  of  his  seed  to  sit  on  his 
throne ;  but  here  accommodated  to  Christ,  that  though 
he  were  crucified,  yet  he  should  rise  again,  and  never 

Vol.  U-  3  R 


498  J  Complete  History 

die  more.  And  to  this  most  clearly  belongs  that  other 
prophecy  of  David,  Psalm  xvi.  10,  "  Thou  shalt  not 
suffer  thine  Holy  One  to  see  corruption."  Which  words 
cannot  be  applied  personally  to  David,  because  he  hav- 
ing lived  his  term  of  natural  life,  died,  and  never  rose 
again,  but  his  body  putrified  in  the  earth.  But  he  in 
whom  that  prophecy  was  completely  fulfilled,  being 
sent  by  God  into  the  world,  and  crucified,  and  by  the 
power  of  God  raised  from  the  dead,  never  perished  at  ally 
but  ascended  into  heaven.  This  therefore,  brethren,  is 
the  message  which  we  bring,  the  gospel  that  by  him,  even 
by  this  glorious  and  exalted  person,  the  remission  of 
sins  is  published  unto  you,  even  the  full  and  assured 
pardon  of  all  your  offences,  be  they  ever  so  great  and 
aggravated.  A.nd  by  him,  every  one  who  believeth  in 
him,  is  freely  and  fully  acquitted  before  God,  not  only 
from  the  guilt  of  smaller  miscarriages,  but  even  from  the 
guilt  of  all  those  things  whrch  are  in  the  highest  degree 
ciiminal,  and  for  the  pardon  of  which  no  prevEik)n' was 
Tnade  in  the  Mosaic  law.  See  to  ir,  therefore,  I  earnestly 
"beseech  you,  that  what  is  spoken  in  the  prophets  as  the 
fatal  consequence  of  rejecting  the  gospel,  come  not  upon 
you — particularly  what  Isaiah  says,  "  Behold  !  ye  despi- 
sers,  and  wonder,  and  perish  I  for  I  perform  a  most  amaz- 
ing work  in  your  days,  even  a  work  which  ye  shall  not 
believe  if  any  one  tell  it  to  you." 

Such  was  the  substance  of  St.  Paul's  plain  and  faithful 
address  to  the  Jews  at  Antioch,  to  which,  for  the  present, 
they  made  no  reply  t  but  while  they  were  going  out  of  the 
synagogue,  the  Gentiles,  who  happened  to  be  present,  de- 
sired that  the  apostle  would  repeat  on  the  next  sabbath 
what  he  had  then  delivered,  promising  to  attend  them- 
sel\  es,  and  bring  their  friends  with  them. 

The  assembly  being  broken  up,  several  of  t?ie  Jews,,  tha^ 
believed,  and  Proselytes,  followed  Paul  and  Barnabas,  who 
preached  to  them,  and  by  way  of  exhortation  confirmed 
them  m  the  fai^h  of  the  gospel.  The  next  sabbath  the  peo- 
ple came  in  gi  eat  crowds  to  hear  the  apostles.  With  this 
expectation  iheU;,  all  that  could,  came  to  the  synagogue, 
which  having  a  timuiltuous  appearance  in  the  eyes  of  tlie 
Jew  s,  they  soon  discovered  their  malice,  and  not  only  coii- 


X)f  the  Ilolij  Bible.  499 

tradictcd  Paul's  prcQching,  but  trcaitd  him  \\\\\\  ill  man- 
IKTS  and  abusi\c  language. 

But  these  contunK-lits  and  rcproaehes  neither  afTectcd 
nor  diieoumged  the  christian  heroes,  nho  openly  de- 
clared, that  they  had  now  performed  their  charge  by 
preaching  the  gospel  first  to  the  Jews,  beibre  they  ap- 
plied themselves  to  the  Gentile  world.  "  But,"  added 
they,  "  since  ye  Jews  behave  yourselves  so  obstinately  and 
perversely,  that  you  have  become  utterly  unworthy  and 
incapable  of  any  benefit  by  the  gospel,  we  are  now. by  ap- 
pointment to  leave  you,  and  preach  to  the  Gentiles.  For 
this  was  the  direction  of  God,  that  Christ  being  preached 
to  the  Jcus  first,  and  being  rejected  by  them,  should  be 
preached  to  all  otlier  people  of  the  worid ;  and  this  is  the 
sum  of  that  ancient  prophecy  of  Isaiah  xlix.  6.  '*  Thou 
shalt  be  for  salvation  to  the  ends  of  the  earth." 

When  tlie  Gentiles  heard,  that  this  pardon  of  sin  and 
salvation  by  Christ  was  allowed  to  them,  they  rejoiced, 
and  blessed  the  name  of  God  for  this  glorious  mercy  of 
his,  revealed  in  the  gospel ;  and  as  man}'  of  those  who 
were  present,  as  were,  according  to  the  gracious  purpose 
of  God,  and  by  the  influence  of  his  grace,  prepared 
for  eternal  life,  openly  embraced  the  gosjjel :  and  as 
these  new  converts  heartily  joined  with  Paul  and  Bar- 
nabas to  propagate  the  truth,  the  word  of  the  Lord  was 
carried  on,  as  with  a  mighty  torrent,  throughout  all  that 
region.  But  the  Jews,  exasperated  at  this  success,  stir- 
red up  some  women  of  considerable  rank,  who  applied 
to  the  magistrates  of  the  city,  exciting  them  to  persecute 
the  preachers  of  tlie  gospel ;  in  consequence  of  which 
they  were  driven  away  with  violence  and  injustice. 
But  the  aposdes  seeing  tlieir  obstinacy,  used  tliat  ftual 
ceremony*  appointed  by  Christ  in  this  case,  thereby 
foretelling  the  destruction  which  would  soon  overtake 
them,  and  leaving  them  in  this  desperate  state,  with  curses 
jianging  over  their  heads,  they  went  to  Icoiiium.  But  all 
the  christians  were  filled  with  spiritual  joy,  and  proceeded 
zealously  in  the  ways  of  God. 


*  Ceremony.    Slukiiig  off  the  dust  of  their  feet,  Matt  x.  14. 


500  A  Complete  History 

Whilst  these  two  courageous  champions  of  the  church 
preached  the  gospel  at  Iconium,  in  such  a  powerful  and 
convincing  manner,  that  a  great  multitude  both  of  the 
Jews  and  of  the  Greeks  received  the  faith,  the  base  unbe- 
lieving Jews,  incensed  the  unconverted  gentiles  against 
the  ii])ostles  and  their  converts :  yet  they  tarried  some 
time  there,  preaching  the  gospel  in  their  public  assem- 
blies, and  God  addtd  his  testimony  to  what  they  said,  by 
enabiinp;  them  to  work  miracles.  But  notwithstandinq; 
the  mighty  influence  they  had  over  the  minds  of  those 
that  were  piously  inclined,  the  Jews  had  made  a  great 
party  against  them,  insomuch,  that  the  m^ultitude  were 
divided,  some  holding  with  the  Jews,  and  others  with  the 
apostles.  But  they,  to  prevent  the  mischief  which  so 
great  a  concotnse  of  people  must  necessarily  occasion, 
and  to  preserve  themselves  from  the  danger  that  threaten- 
ed them,  prudently  withdrew  from  Iconium,  and  fled  to 
Lystra  and  Derbe,  cities  of  Lycaonia,  and  to  the  country 
thereabout ;  where  they  preached  the  gospel. 

While  they  were  at  Lystra,  a  very  extraordinary  event 
took  place,  A  poor  cripple,  lame  from  his  birth,  being 
one  of  the  apostle's  auditors,  was  particularly  observed 
by  Paul,  who  looking  earnestly  upon  him,  and  either  by 
his  words,  overheard  by  Paul,  or  by  his  own  discerning 
spirit,  perceiving  that  he  believed  they  were  able  to  cure 
him,  Paul  speaking  to  him,  loud  enough  to  be  heard  by 
the  rest  of  the  assembly,  said,  "  Stand  upright  on  thy 
feet."  The  poor  man,  in  a  dependance  on  the  power 
||  of  Christ,  immediately  attempted   it,  and   was  so  mira- 

^'  culously  helped,  that  he  sprung  up  with  astonishing  agi- 

lity, and  walked  about  with  the  greatest  ease.  When  the 
people  beheld  this  wonde^'ful  cure,  they  concluded  that 
if  could  not  have  been  effected  but  by  the  immediate 
presence  of  a  Deity ;  and  therefore  running  about  in 
great  confusion,  they  exclaimed  aloud,  "  The  gods  are 
descended  in  the  likeness  of  men."  And  Barnabas  being 
a  person  of  more  majestic  appearance,  they  called  Jupiter, 
and  Paul,  who  was  a  small  active  man,  they  named 
Mercury,  the  god  of  eloquence.  But  as  soon  as  this  mi- 
racle came  to  the  ears  of  the  priest  of  Jupiter,  who  was 
deemed  the  tutelar  deity  of  tliat  place,  tliey  came  to  the 


of  the  Holy  Bible.  501 

place  where  Paul  and  Barnabas  were,  brincjing  oxen 
crowned  with  garlands,  intending  to  oficr  sacrilicc  to 
tliem.  But  the  apostles,  abhorring  such  blasphemy,  rent 
their  garments  in  detestation  of  it,  saying,  ''  Sirs,  Why 
do  ye  these  things  ?  We  are  but  men  ourselves,  subject 
to  the  passions  ol"  human  nature  like  you,  and  are  come 
to  convert  you  from  these  idolatries,  and  to  persuade 
you  to  the  service  of  the  living  God,  who  made  heaven 
and  earth,  and  all  things  therein,  who  in  times  past  left 
the  Gentiles  to  their  own  blind  worship,  but  sufficiently 
at  the  same  time  evidenced  himself  to  them  by  the  great 
blessings  of  temporal  things,  in  bestowing  fruitful  seasons, 
the  particular  acts  of  his  power  and  bounty,  to  dissuade 
them  from  their  impieties. 

These  arguments,  though  urged  by  the  apostles  with 
so  much  vehemence,  could  scarcely  restrain  them  from 
sacrificing.     But  while  Paul  and  Barnabas  were  labouring 
for  the  recovery  of  these  poor  idolaters,  some  unbelieving 
Jews,  who  came  from  Antioch  and  Iconium,  fearing  the 
people   should  be  persuaded  to  the  truth,  instigated  the 
giddy   multitude  to  join  with  them  against  the  apostles, 
and  easily  prevailing,  they  in  a  tumultuous  manner  threw 
stones  at  them,  and  Paul  falling,  they  believed  they  had 
killed  him :  in  which  condition  they  dragged  him  out  of 
the  city  as  dead.     But  as  the  christians  there  came  to  in- 
ter his  body,  he  rose  up,  and  A^ent  privately  with  them 
into  the  city,  and  the  next  day  Barnabas  and  he  departed 
to  Derbe,  where   having  preached  the  gospel,  and  con- 
verted many  to  the  faith,  they  returned  to  Lystra,  Ico- 
nium,  and  Antioch ;   in  which  places  they  confirmed  the 
disciples  in  the  faith,  and  exhorted  them  to  perseverance, 
telling  them  that  they  must  suffer  many  tribulations  be- 
fore they  could  arrive  at  heaven.     And  when  they  had 
constituted  presbyters  for  them  in  every  church  by  fast- 
ing and  prayer,  they  took  their  leave   of  them,  recom- 
mending them  to  the  good  providence  of  Christ,  whose 
faith   they   had   received.      And   after   they   had   passed 
through    Pisidia  they   came  to   Pamphylia,    and   having 
preached  the  gospel  in  Perga,  they  went  to  Attalia,  ^nd 
thence  came  by  sea  to  Antioch,  from  whence  they  had, 
by  divine  appointment,  been  solemnly  recommended  to 


502  J  Complete  Histonj 

the  grace  of  God  for  the  work  which  they  liad  so  a  igo- 
rously  prosecuted,  and  so  liappily  accompHshcd.  And 
when  they  had  assembled  the  church,  the}'  gave  an  ac- 
count of  their  embassy,  how  it  had  pleased  God,  that  by 
their  preaching  to  the  Jews  in  the  Gentile  cities,  many 
Gentiles  had  received  the  faith.  In  wliich  place  they 
abode  with  the  disciples  a  long  time. 

And  here  some  converted  Jews,  who  came  from  Jeru- 
salem, though  they  believed  in  Christ,  yet  thought  them- 
selves bound  to  tlie  observation  of  the  whole  Mosaical 
law,  insisted  upon  it  both  in  public  and  private,  that  the 
Gentile  christians  must  submit  to  the  whole  law,  and  be 
circumcised,  or  else  they  could  not  be  saved.  This  Paul 
and  Barnabas  strenuously  opposed,  and  no  small  debate 
was  excited.  This  question  being  of  great  importance, 
tiie  church  determined  to  send  Paul,  Barnabas,  and  other 
brethren  to  the  apostles  and  elders  at  Jerusalem,  to  know 
their  sentiments  on  this  grand  subject.  As  they  passed 
through  Phenice  and  Samaria,  they  told  them  the  occa- 
sion of  their  journey,  and  all  the  christians  were  glad  tliat 
this  question  was  like  to  be  determined.  When  they  ar- 
rived at  Jerusalem  they  were  kindly  received  by  the  whole 
church,  and  declaring  the  great  success  God  had  given  to 
their  preaching  among  the  Gentiles,  they  informed  them 
of  their  message. 

This  gave  occasion  to  some  of  the  Pharisees  who  had 
)become  christians  to  rise,  and  sa}',  that  though  they 
heartily  rejoiced  in  the  conversion  of  the  heathen,  they 
judged  it  absolutely  necessary  to  circumcise  them,  and 
charge  them  to  observe  the  whole  law  of  Moses.  Others 
being  of  a  different  opinion,  a  day  was  fixed  for  the  so- 
lemn discussion  of  this  matter  in  a  full  assembly.  The 
day  appointed  being  come,  the  apostles  and  elders  met 
together  to  consult  on  the  affliir ;  when,  after  much  de- 
bate, Peter  arose  and  thus  addressed  himself  to  the  au- 
dience. 

*'  Men  and  brethren,  it  is  well  known  to  you  all,  that 
some  time  since  God  made  choice  of  me  to  preach  the 
gospel  to  the  Gentiles,  particularly  to  Cornelius  and  his 
family  :  and  God  who  knew  the  sincerity  of  their  hearts, 
testified  that  they  were  acceptable  to  him,  and  fit  to  be 


of  the  Holy  Bible,  503 

1)aptlzecl,  bestowiFig  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost  upon 
them,  as  he  had  before  upon  us,  making  no  distinclion 
between  us  and  them,  having  purified  their  hearts  as  well 
as  ours  by  true  faith.  By  this  one  act  of  God  to  diem,  it 
is  plainly  and  fully  determined ;  why  then  do  ye  press  this 
thing  so  contrary  to  the  will  of  God,  and  impose  upon  the 
Gentile  converts  the  performance  of  the  Mosaical  law, 
M  hich  l^elongcd  not  to  them,  and  which  we  Jews  were  so 
ftr  from  being  able  to  perform,  that  we  could  not  be 
justified  by  it?  For  through  the  great  mercy  of  God,  it  is 
by  the  gospel  we  expect  salvation  and  justification,  through 
the  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  not  by  the  obser- 
vation of  the  Mosaical  law.  Whence  it  is  plain,  that  if  the 
Gentiles  believe,  they  have  the  same  way  to  salvation  as 
we  ourselves  have." 

Then  Paul  and  Barnabas,  in  confirmation  of  what  Peter 
had  said,  declared  what  miracles  God  liad  done  by  them 
in  the  conversion  of  the  Gentiles,  which  was  another 
testimony  from  heaven,  that  no  difference  ought  to  be 
made  between  the  Jews  and  Gentiles.  After  they  had 
done  speaking,  the  apostle  James,  requesting  the  serious 
attention  of  the  council,  addressed  them  to  the  following 
eft'ect  :  "  Our  beloved  brother,  Simon,  hath  sufficiently 
demonstrated,  that  it  was  tlie  will  of  God  (as  in  the  case 
of  Cornelius)  that  the  Gentiles  should  without  scruple 
have  the  Gospel  preached  to  them,  and  be  baptized.  And 
this  is  agreeable  to  what  hath  been  foretold  by  the  pro- 
phets, for  they  are  the  words  of  God  by  Amos  [ix.  11,  12.  J 
*'  In  the  latter  days  I  will  return,  and  build  up  the  taber- 
nacle of  David,  which  is  fallen  down,  and  I  will  build 
again  the  ruins  thereof,  and  will  set  it  up ;  that  the  re- 
sidue of  men  might  seek  after  the  Lord,  and  all  the  Gen- 
tiles who  call  upon  my  name,  saith  the  Lord,  who  doeth 
all  these  things."  Now  this  prediction  is  agreeable  to  the 
wise  plan  of  the  divine  government,  for  all  his  works  are 
from  eternity  kno\vn  unto  God.  Therefore  my  conclu- 
sion is,  "  That  we  should  not  compel  them  to  be  circum- 
cised, who  from  Gentiles  become  christians,  but  content 
ourselves  if  they  believe.  For  we  that  are  Jews  need  not 
fear,  that  this  will  bring  a  contempt  upon  Moses  or  the 
laws  of  the  Jews,  since  the  contrary  appears  by  tlie  cjiris. 


504  ■  A  Complete  Historif 

tian  practice,  for  even  where  these  Proselytes  of  the  Gen- 
tiles  are,  the  books  of  Moses  are  continued  among  them, 
being  read  in  the  synagogue  every  sabbath-day,  to  signify 
their  respect  to  the  law." 

The  business  being  thus  determined  by  the  consent  of 
the  whole  assembly,  the  next  thing  was  to  choose  some 
messengers  from  Judea,  who  were  present  at  this  coun- 
cil, to  go  along  with  Paul  and  Barnabas  to  Antioch,  and 
they  fixed  upon  Judas  surnamed  Barsabas,  and  Silas,  men 
of  eminent  account  among  the  brethren.  These,  there- 
fore, they  dispatched  to  Antioch  with  letters  to  the  fol- 
lowing purport :  "  The  apostles,  elders,  and  the  whole 
society  of  christians  in  Jerusalem,  salute  the  brethren 
which  are  of  the  Gentiles,  in  Antioch,  Syria,  and  Cilicia. 
We  having  received  an  account,  that  some  which  went 
from  hence,  endeavoured  to  subvert  you,  and  to  lead  you 
to  a  a:roundless  doctrine  of  the  necessitv  for  all  christians 
being  circumcised,  they  having  no  mstructions  from  us  so 
to  do.  We  being  assembled  together,  have  determined 
to  send  two  chosen  men  of  our  own  body,  with  our  belov- 
ed Barnabas  and  Paul ;  persons,  that  have  in  preaching 
the  gospel,  behaved  themselves  with  all  sincerity,  and 
hazarded  their  lives  for  the  service  of  Christ.  With  these 
we  have  sent  Judas  and  Silas,  that  they  may  tell  you  in 
person  and  more  at  large  what  we  write  in  brief  For  \\t 
having  prayed  to  God  to  send  his  Holy  Spirit  to  abide 
^mong  us,  and  lead  us  into  all  truth,  have  determined 
that  the  Gentile  christians  shall  not  be  obliged  to  circum- 
cision or  other  judaical  observances,  or  to  any  more  than 
those  few  things  that  have  among  the  Jews  been  required 
of  all  Proselytes*  of  the  gate ;  that  ye  abstain  from  meats 
offered  to  idols,  and  from  blood,  and  from  things  stran- 
gled, and  from  fornication  :  which  things,  if  ye  shall  ob- 
serve, there  will  be  no  more  of  the  Mosaical  law  required 
of  you  ;  and  so  we  bid  you  heartily,  farewell." 

The  council  having  dismissed  them,  they  hastened  to 


•  Proselytes.    That  is  of  all  Gentiles  who  were  in  any  sort  permitted  to  come  in- 
to their  temple  to  worship  God. 


of  the  Ihhj  Bible.  505 

Antioch  ;  where  callinc^  the  church  together,  they  present- 
ed the  epistle  to  them  in  the  presence  of  the  whole  congre- 
gation :  which  when  they  had  read,  they  rejoiced  at  the 
approbation  expressed  by  the  apostles.  And  these  two 
brethren,  Judas  and  Silas,  being  endued  with  a  prophetic 
spirit,  able  to  expound  and  interpret  the  Scriptures,  ex- 
horted and  confirmed  the  believers  in  the  faith.  And  af- 
ter some  stay  at  Antioch  they  took  their  leave,  receiving 
the  prayers  and  thanks  of  the  brethren.  But  Paul  and  Bar- 
nabas continued  at  Antioch,  instructins;  them  that  had  re- 
ceived  the  faith,  and  declaring  it  to  them  that  had  not. 

Some  lime  after  this,  Paul  desired  Barnabas  to  accom- 
pany him  in  visiting  those  cities  where  they  had  before 
preached,  to  see  how  they  advanced  in  the  knowledge  of 
Christ.  To  which  Barnabas  consented,  but  would  have 
John  Mark  go  with  them  ;  which  Paul  did  not  approve 
of,  because  John  Mark  had  left  them,  when  he  went  from 
Pamphylia,  and  had  not  accompanied  them  constantly  in 
preaching  the  gospel.  Upon  which  Paul  and  Barnabas 
parted ;  Barnabas  taking  Mark  with  him,  took  shipping 
for  Cyprus,  and  Paul  chusing  Silas,  went  to  Syria  and 
Cilicia.  And  while  they  sojourned  at  Derbe  and  Lystra, 
they  met  with  a  certain  disciple  named  Timothy,  whose 
father  was  a  Greek,  but  his  mother  an  Hebrew.  He  was 
in  great  esteem  among  the  Christians  of  Lystra  and  Ico- 
nium,  and  when  Paul  had  conversed  with  him,  he  found 
him  to  be  one  that  would  be  highly  useful  in  propagating 
the  gospel.  Paul,  therefore,  chose  Timothy  to  accom- 
pany and  assist  him  in  preaching,  and  causing  him  to  be 
circumcised*  for  the  satisfaction  of  the  Jewish  converts, 


*  Circinncised.  St.  Paul  wished  Timothy  to  be  circumcised  to  gratify  the  Jew- 
ish Christians,  who  woMld  not  permit  him  to  preach  :  the  reason  of  which  was, 
because  the  proselytes  of  the  gate,  or  uncircumcised,  were  not  permitted  to  come 
into  the  same  court  of  the  temple  with  the  Jews;  and  if  Timothy  had  gone  into 
that  court  with  them,  the  Jews  would  not  hearken  to  him,  or  benefit  by  his  preach- 
ing, having  a  special  aversion  to  such.  And  therefore  Paul  had  him  circumcised^ 
His  father  being  a  Greek,  and  consequently  his  not  being  circumcised  in  his  child- 
hood was  well  known.  It  may  be  added,  that  if  Timothy  had  been  known  not  to 
have  been  circumcised,  he  would  not  have  had  permission  to  preach  in  any  of  the 
synagogues  on  his  travels. 

Vol.  n.  ,3S 


S06  A  Complete  History 

who  knew  his  father  to  be  a  Greek,  he  took  him.  alorrs; 
with  him.  And  as  they  travelled  from  place  to  placCy 
they  delivered  the  decrees  of  the  council  of  Jerusalem, 
to  be  kept  as  a  sacred  record  ;  by  which  they  established 
the  churches,  and  every  day  converted  many  to  the  faith 
of  Christ. 

After  they  had  gone  through  Phrygia  and  Galatia,  they 
were  by  revelation  forbid  to  preach  the  gospel  in  Asia  ; 
and  coming  over  against  Mysia,  intending  to  pass  by  Bi- 
thynia,  the  Spirit  again  by  revelation  forbade  them  :  and 
theietbre  passing  by  Mysia,  they  came  to  Troas,  m  here, 
in  the  night,  there  appeared  to  Paul,  in  a  vision,  a  mait 
of  Macedonia,  that  stood  and  prayed,  saying,  "  Come 
over  to  Macedonia  and  help  us."  From  which,  Paul 
concluding  it  to  be  the  immediate  call  of  God  to  him,  to 
go  and  preach  the  gospel  there,  he  parted  from  Troas, 
and  with  his  companion  sailed  directly  to  Samothracia  ; 
the  next  day  to  Neapolis,  and  from  thence  to  Philippi, 
the  metropolis  of  one  part  of  Macedonia,  and  a  Roman 
colony.  Here  they  staid  some  days ;  and  going  out  of 
the  city,  by  a  river's  side  they  found  an  oratory,  to  which 
certain  religious  resorted  to  pray,  and  going  into  it,  they- 
found  many  women  assembled,  to  whom  Paul  preached 
the  gospel.  Of  the  number  of  these  was  Lydia,  an  inha- 
bitant of  Thyatira,  and  proselyte  of  the  Jews,  whose 
heart  the  Lord,  by  the  gentle  influence  of  his  grace, 
opened  and  disposed  so  to  attend  upon  and  regard  the 
gospel  message,  that  she  was  truly  converted  to  God. 
And  wl>en  she  was  baptized,  with  her  family,  she  impor- 
tuned Paul  and  Silas  to  take  up  their  abode  in  her  house, 
to  which  they  consented.  As  they  were  going  to  prayer, 
there  met  them  a  young  maid,  who  had  been  for  some 
time  under  the  influence  of  what  the  Greeks  call  a  py- 
thonic  spirit,  or  spirit  of  divination,  which  they  supposed 
to  be  from  Apollo;  and  though  she  was  but  a  slave,  she 
obtained  much  gain  for  her  owners,  by  her  pretended 
prophesying.  This  girl  followed  Paul  and  Silas  fpr  se- 
veral days,  crying  out,  "  These  are  the  servants  of  the 
most  high  God,  which  shew  us  the  way  of  salvation." 
The  apostle  being  grieved  lest  the  people  should  appre- 
hend that  he   acted  in   confederacy  with  an  evil  spirit, 


of  the  Hohj  Bible.  507 

turned  and  siiid  to  the  spirit,  "  In  the  name  of  Jesus 
Christ  1  command  thee  to  come  out  of  her."  And  the 
same  instant  he  left  iicr.  But  when  her  masters  sa\\'  tliat 
by  this  miracle  all  prospect  of  further  gain  by  lier  divi- 
nation was  gone,  they  apprehended  Paul  and  Silas,  and 
brought  them  before  the  magistrates,  complaining,  that 
these  Jews  occasioned  a  great  disturbance  in  the  city, 
teaching  a  religion  contrary  to  theirs,  aivd  prohibited  by 
the  Roman  laws,  which  allowed  of  no  worsliip,  but  what 
was  approved  by  the  Senate.  Upon  this  a  great  tumult 
arose,  and  the  magistrates  ordered  them  to  be  *  scourged, 
Jirst  rending  off  their  clothes ;  which  having  done,  they 
committed  them  to  prison,  strictly  charging  the  jailor  to 
keep  them  safely  ;  who  immediately  put  them  in  irons,  and 
secured  them  in  the  strongest  apartment  of  the  prison. 
But  notwithstanding  this  cruel  treatment  and  close  con- 
fmement,  these  blessed  confessors,  full  of  heavenly  ti'an- 
fjuillity  and  inward  peace,  spent  their  midnight-hours  in 
prayers  and  praises  to  him  that  thought  them  worthy  of 
suftering  these  cruel  indignities  for  his  name,  and  the 
word  of  his  testimony. 

Whilst  they  thus  enjoyed  this  holy  serenity  and  cheer- 
fulness, there  was  suddenly  a  great  earthquake,  so  that 
the  very  foundation  of  the  prison  shook,  the  prison- 
doors  flew  open,  and  the  chains  of  all  the  prisoners  were 
miraculously  loosened.  The  jailor,  awaking  with  the 
noise,  and  seeing  the  prison-doors  open,  concluded  that 
all  the  prisoners  had  escaped;  and  thinking  that  this 
would  be  imputed  to  his  neglect,  and  be  of  fatal  conse- 
<juence  to  him,  in  despair  drew  his  sword  with  design  to 
kill  himself.  But  Paul,  aware  of  the  horrid  act  which 
his  rashness  intended,  and  anxious  to  prevent  it,  cried 
aloud,  saying,  "  Stay  thy  desperate  hand,  and  do  thyself 
no   harm;  for  we  are  all  here,  and  none   sliall  take  the 


*  Scourged,  ^c.  In  scourging,  rending  or  tearing  off  the  garments  was  used. 
Both  hands  were  tied  to  a  pillar  on  each  side,  then  the  lictor,  or  officer  of  the 
synagogue,  took  hold  of  the  garments,  not  caring  whether  he  tore  or  stripped 
them  off,  till  the  criminal's  breast  ^as  quite  unco%-ered.  And  this  was  agreeable 
to  tlie  Roman  custom. 


508  A  Complete  History 

opportunity  of  escaping.  Then  calling  for  lights,  the 
jailor  sprang  in,  and  being  in  a  great  tremor,  fell  prostrate 
at  the  feet  of  Paul  and  Silas  in  silent  consternation.  Re- 
covering himself  a  little,  and  leading  them  in  the  most 
respectful  manner  ont  of  the  inner  prison,  he  said,  with 
the  utmost  earnestness,  "  O  sirs,  what  must  I  do  that  I 
may  be  saved?"  They,  gladly  seizing  this  opportunity  of 
preaching  Christ  to  him,  answered,  "  Believe  in  the  name 
of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  whom  we  preach  as  the  only 
Saviour,  and  thou  shalt  be  saved."  The  word  came 
with  such  power  to  his  heart,  that  he  was  melted  with  the 
gracious  tidings,  and  his  tenderness  soon  manifested  itself 
by  his  immediate  care  of  them,  in  washing  their  stripes, 
and  treating  them  with  all  possible  kindness.  And  having 
brought  them  into  his  dwelling-house,  he  and  all  his  fa- 
mily were  immediately  baptized.  He  then  spread  his  ta- 
ble for  their  refreshment,  and  believing  in  God,  with  all 
his  house,  he  was  transported  with  unutterable  joy  at  the 
happy  transition  he  had  so  suddenly  made,  from  the  dark- 
ness and  danger  of  a  heathen  state,  into  the  glorious  pri- 
vileges of  the  people  of  God. 

The  magistrates,  having  scourged,  and  committed  Paul 
and  Silas  in  an  unwarrantable  manner,  began  afterwards 
to  consider  what  they  had  done ;  and,  to  prevent  being 
called  to  an  account  for  this  rash  proceeding,  they  sent 
to  the  jailor  to  discharge  the  prisoners,  thinking  their  joy 
for  their  liberty  might  stifle  their  resentment.  The  con- 
verted jailor  thought  this  M'ould  be  welcome  news  to  his 
prisoners,  and  told  them  they  were  at  liberty  to  go  where 
they  pleased,  and  wished  them  well.  But  Paul  would  not 
pass  over  the  abuse  thus,  telling  the  jailor,  ''  They  have 
shamefully  and  in  public  abused  us,  ^A  ho  are  Roman  citi- 
zens, without  trial  or  shewing  cause,  and  after  this  com- 
mitted us  to  prison ;  and  do  they  think  this  private  dis- 
charge will  satisfy  us  ?  No,  let  tiiem  come  themselves  and 
discharge  us  openly."  The  officers  acquainted  the  magi- 
strates with  Paul's  resolution;  who  hearing  that  they  were 
Romans,  knew  they  could  not  answer  it  to  the  governor, 
and  therefore  were  glad  to  come  in  person  to  the  prison, 
where,  giving  them  fair  words,  they  desired  them  to 
depart,  and  leave  the  city.     And  from  the  prison  tliey 


of  the  Holy  Bible.  ^09 

went  to  Lydia's  house,  where  having  spent  some  time 
A\ith  the  brethren,  and  comlortcd  them,  they  left  Pl)i- 
H])pi. 

After  they  had  passed  through  AmplVipolis  and  ApoUo- 
uia,  they  came  to  the  celebrated  city  Thessalonica,  ^vhere 
there  was  a  synagogue  of  the  Jews;  into  which  Paul,  ac- 
cording to  his  usual  custom,  entered,  and  during  three 
successive  sabbaths,  preached  out  of  the  scriptures,  that 
Jesus  must  of  necessity  be  the  Messiah  promised  to  the 
Jews.  Upon  which  some  of  them  received  the  faith,  and 
associated  with  Paul  and  Silas,  besides  several  Greek  pro- 
selytes and  women  of  quality.  But  the  infidel  Jews  op- 
posing them  as  much  as  possible,  got  together  some*  offi- 
cers belonging  to  the  courts  of  judicature,  and  in  a  tu- 
multuous manner  beset  Jason's  house,  where,  searching 
for  Paul  and  Silas,  and  not  finding  them,  they  resolved 
to  be  revenged  on  somebody,  and  therefore  seized  Jason' 
and  some  of  the  brethren,  and  carried  them  before  the 
officers  of  justice  ;  complaining,  that  these  men,  who  had 
filled  the  world  withf  disorder  and  confusion,  were  enter- 
tained by  Jason ;  and  that  they  preached  a  doctrine  quite 
contrary  to  Caesar's  authority  over  them,  declaring  one 
Jesus  to  be  their  King.  The  magistrates  knew  not  well 
what  to  do  in  this  case,  being  tender  of  disobliging  either 
the  Jews  or  Romans ;  and  therefore  taking  security  of 
Jason  for  himself  and  his  companions,  they  dismissed 
them.  But  being  concerned  for  Paul's  safety,  by  night 
they  sent  him  and  Silas  to  Berasa,  where  they  went  strait- 
way  into  the  synagogue,  and  met  with  a  sort  of  people 


•  Off.cers,lSfc.  The  agoraioi  of  the  Greek  can  have  no  relation  to  the  English 
version,  which  calls  them  lewd  fellows ;  nor  much  to  the  vulgate,  e-xcept  they 
mean  by  agoraioi,  the  circumforaneous  lawyers,  not  those  of  the  forum ;  for  they 
translating  the  Greek,  de  vulgo  viros  quosquam  malos,  certain  wicked  men  of  the 
common  people,  must  mean  the  mob.  But  the  word,  without  any  periphrasis, 
plainly  signifies  belonging  to  a  court  of  judicature ;  and  by  it  possibly,  in  this 
J)lace,  might  be  meant  some  of  those  that  used  to  summon  the  people  to  assem- 
blies upon  extraordinary  occasioHS. 

•f-  Disorder,  iSfc.  The  Greek  word  anastatosantes  is  very  oddly  turned  m  our 
translation,  by  rendering  it,  to  turn  it  upside  down.     See  Acts,  xvii.  6, 


510  A  Complete  His^ry 

ingenuous  and  mild,  vastly  differing  from  the  rude  inha- 
bitants of  Thessalonica,  for  they  cheerfully  embraced  the 
faith,  and  spent  their  time  in  reading  the  scriptures,  ob- 
serving whether  what  Paul  taught  was  agreeable  witii 
what  the  scriptures  slw  of  the  Messiah.  Many,  therefore, 
of  the  Jews  received  the  faith,  as  likewise  many  Gentiles 
of  the  better  sort,  both  men  and  women.  Now  when  the 
Jews  of  Thessalonica  heard  that  Paul  preached  the  gospel 
at  Bersea,  they  pursued  him  thither,  resolving  he  should 
not  rest  within  reach  of  them.  To  secure  him,  therefore, 
from  their  malice,  and  to  elude  the  persecutors,  the 
Christians  there  sent  Paul  toward  the  sea- side,  as  if  he 
meant  to  take  ship,  whereas  he  intended  to  go  to  Athens 
on  foot;  but  Silas  and  Timothy  were  left  behind,  and 
\vere  ordered  to  follow  after. 

While  Paul  waited  for  his  company  at  Athens,  he  per- 
ceived, with  great  emotion  of  spirit,  that  the  city  was 
wholly  *  given  to  idolatry  :  for  which  reason  he  not  only 
preached  in  the  synagogue  to  the  Jews  and  proselytes, 
but  in  other  places  of  concourse,  he  took  occasion  to 
make  known  the  Christian  doctrine  to  all  the  heathens  he 
met.  Some  learned  men  of  Athens,  both  Epicureans  f 
and  Stoics,  seeing  Paul  so  ready  to  engage  in  dispute 
with  every  one,  undertook  to  confute  him  ;  but  not  un- 
derstanding him,  some  said,  he  was  a  prating  babbling 
fellow ;  others,  that  he  came  to  discover  some  strange 
God  to  them,  because  he  frequently  mentioned  Jesus  and 
the  resurrection. 

After  this,  they  conducted  him  to  that  celebrated  hill 
near  the  citadel,  which  was  called  the  Areopagus,  %  and 
examined  what  new  religion  it  was  he  taught ;  for  all 
tJiat  they  had  hitherto  heard,  was  new  and  strange,  and 


•  wholly.  That  Athens  was  so,  appears  from  the  number  of  idols  there,  being 
more  than  in  all  Greece  besides. 

f  Epicureans.  There  were  two  contrary  sects  of  philosophers  at  Athens,  the 
Epicureans,  who  denied  a  providence,  and  the  Stoics,  who  maintained  the  doctrine 
of  fate,  but  denied  all  freedom  of  will. 

:|;  Areopagus.  In  Athens,  their  areopagus  was  their  senate  or  standing  court 
of  j.udicature,  by  whose  laws  and  orders  any  new  gods  were  received  among  them ; 


of  the  Holy  Bible.  5ll 

therefore  they  desired  to  have  a  full  account  of  it.  Paul 
being  brought  before  the  magistrates  in  the  Areopagus, 
said,  "  I  perceive,  O  Athenians,  that  ye  are  exceedingly 
addicted  to  the  worship  of  invisible  powers ;  for  as  I 
passed  along  the  streets  of  this  magnificent  city,  I  found 
an  altar  on  which  was  this  remarkable  inscription,  '  To 
THE  UNKNOWN  GoD  ;'*  SO  dcsirous  do  you  seem  to  be, 
that  no  deity,  whether  known  or  unknown,  may  be  passed 
by  without  some  religious  regard.  Now  I  should  think 
myself  remarkably  happy,  if  I  might  direct  you  to  the 
knowledge  of  true  religion.  Him,  therefore,  whom  you 
acknowledge  not  to  know,  yet  profess  to  worship,  is  he 
that  I  preach,  the  invisible  God  of  heaven  and  earth,  who 
cannot  be  contained  in  temples  of  man's  making ;  nor 
can  any  image  made  by  man  be  a  proper  instrument  of 
his  worship,  he  being  so  far  from  wanting  our  help,  that 
it  is  he  that  gives  to  all  their  life,  and  all  that  tliey  pos- 
sess. And  from  one  man  he  hath  made  a  whole  world  of 
men,  who,  by  his  providential  care,  inhabit  the  whole 
earth,  he  having,  in  his  unerring  council,  allotted  to 
each  the  boundaries  of  their  several  habitations  ;  all 
things  in  the  disposition  of  his  providence  entering  in 
this  one  great  tni\^  that  they  should  seek  after  their 
Creator  and  worship  him,  who  is  indeed  near  every  one 
of  us,  even  as  the  soul  that  animates  us.  For  our  life, 
motion,  and  subsistence,  is  wholly  through  him,  accor- 
ding to  that  which  one  of  your  own  poets  hath  said.  God 
therefore  being  our  Creator,  we  cannot  in  reason  supjDose 
him  to  be  the  work  of  our  hands,  such  as  a  piece  of  gold 
or  silver,  how  curiously  soever  wrought  by  human  art-. 


and,  therefore,  as  soon  as  they  conceived  Paul  was  apromiilger  of  new  and  strange 
deities,  they  brought  him  to  the  areopagus  to  have  him  esajnined,  v.hat  gods  they 
were  that  he  thus  preached.  Acts,  ch.  xvii.  v.  19; 

•  UnknoKTi  God.  There  are  many  stories  about  this  inscription ;  but  it  is  most 
probable  it  proceeded  from  their  hospitality  towards  the  men  that  occasioned  it ; 
for  they  were  as  ready  to  receive  any  strange  god  to  their  worship,  as  they  were 
to  entertain  strangers.  And  this  is  plain  from  the  whole  inscription,  of  which 
this  is  but  part ;  which  runs  thus,  "  To  the  gods  of  Europe,  Asia,  and  Africa,  and 
to  one  strange  God,  whicja  they  knew  not." 


y 


512  A  Complete  History 

This  time  of  ignorance  hatli  lasted  long ;  but  now  God 
calls  you  all  to  repentance,  for  he  hath  appointed  a  great 
and  awful  day,  in  which  he  will  judge  the  whole  world  in 
righteousness,  and  pass  a  final  sentence  of  happiness  or 
misery  on  each  according  to  his  true  character  ;  which  he 
will  do  by  that  illustrious  Man,  whom  he  hath  ordained, 
of  which  he  hath  given  sufiicient  assurance  to  all  men,  by 
raising  him  from  the  dead."  When  they  heard  him  men- 
tion the  resurrection,  some  rudely  mocked  and  made  a 
jest  of  it,  as  a  despicable  and  incredible  tale,  particular- 
ly the  Epicureans  did  this,  who  deny  a  future  state  :  and 
others,  of  a  more  curious  turn,  coolly  said,  "  This  is 
enough  for  the  present,  we  will  hear  thee  again  on  this  sub- 
ject, when  a  convenient  opportunity  offers."  Now  Paul, 
finding  so  little  disposition  in  this  learned  auditory,  to 
hearken  to  the  truth,  Avent  out  of  the  midst  of  them, 
leaving  the  far  greater  part  in  the  same  deplorable  state 
of  ignorance  and  superstition  as  he  found  them.  Ne- 
vertheless, there  were  some  that  believed  and  associated 
with  him,  particularly  Dionysius  one  of  the  senators  or 
judges  in  the  Areopagus,  and  his  wife  Damaris  with  some 
others. 

From  Athens  Paul  departed  to  Corinth,*  where  he 
found  a  certain  Jew  named  Aquila,  born  in  Pontus,  late- 
ly come  from  Italy  with  his  wife  Priscilla,  because  the 
emperor  Claudius,  toward  the  latter  end  of  his  reign, 
made  an  edict  to  banish  the  Jews  from  Rome  and  Italy  ; 
and  finding  that  Aquila  was  brought  up  to  the  same  trade  f 


*  Coraith.  This  was  a  city  of  so  much  consequence,  that  it  was. at  one  time 
considered  by  the  Romans  as  a  rival,  almost  as  dangerous  as  Carriage.  From 
,the  convenience  of  its  situation  for  commerce,  it  abounded  in  riches,  and  was  fur- 
nished with  all  the  accommodations,  elegancies,  and  superfluities  of  life.  This 
by  too  natural  a  consequence,  led  its  inhabitants  into  luxury,  lewdness,  and  :dl 
manner  of  vice  ;  and  they  were  accordingly  infamous  even  to  a  proverb. 

i;  Trade.  It  was  a  great  maxim  and  principle  among  the  Jews,  "  That  he, 
who  teaclies  not  his  son  a  trade,  teaches  him  to  be  a  thief."  Tliey  thought  it  not 
only  fit,  but  a  necessary  part  of  education,  whereby,  if  reduced  by  necessity, 
though  ever  so  great  and  learned,  they  might  by  manual  labour  maintain  thcm- 
sofves.     Hence  nothing  was  more  common,  than  for  their  wisest  and  most  learned" 


of  the  Ilohj  PAUc,  513 

« 

in  wliich  he  was  \vhcn  young  instructed,  lie  took  up  Iiis 
<{unrtcrs  with  hi:a,  and  wrouj^ht  wiih  him  in  the  trudc  oi' 
tent-making'.  But  every  sab!).!lh  he  preaclied  in  the  syna- 
gogues of  the  Jews,  labouring  to  convinee  both  Jews  and 
Greeks. 

By  this  time  Silas  and  Timothy  were  come  from  Mace- 
donia ;  and  Paul  being  very  much  coneernrd  at  the  ob- 
stinacy of  the  Jews,  did  his  utmost  to  convince  them  tl"Kit 
Jesus  was  the  Messiah ;  but  when  they  not  only  opposed 
him,  but  blasphemed  the  name  of  the  Saviour,  and  treat- 
ed hifri  contumeliousl}-,  he  not  only  used  that  ordinary 
ceremony  of  shaking  his  shoes  or  his  garments,  intima- 
ting thereby  their  unworthiness  of  having  the  gospel  fur- 
ther preached  to  them,  and  the  sad  consequences  that  at- 
tend obstinacy,  but  said,  Having  thus  warned  you,  I  am  free 
from  the  guilt  of  your  destruction,  which  will  certainly- 
come  upon  you ;  I  will  stay  no  longer  among  you,  but 
will  without  any  further  scruple  preach  to  the  Gentiles. 
And  going  out  of  the  synagogue,  he  went  to  the  house 
of  one  Justus,  a  Gentile  by  birth,  but  a  Jewish  Prose- 
lyte. Before  Paul  quitted  the  synagogue,  though  many 
of  the  Jews  opposed  him,  Crispus,  the  chief  of  the  sy- 
nagogue, and  several  of  the  Corinthians  believed  and 
were  baptized.  At  this  time,  conscious  of  the  disadvan- 
tages attending  his  person  and  address ;  he  was  discoura- 
ged in  a  view  of  the  learnhig,  politeness  and  grandeur  of 
many  Gentile  inhabitants  of  the  city,  and  by  the  assaults 
which  had  been  made  upon  him  in  various  places.  The 
Lord  Jesus,  therefore,  interposed  in  a  very  gracious 
manner,  and  said  to  him  by  night  in  a  vision,  "  Fear  not. 


Rabbins  to  take  their  denominations  from  their  callings.  This  custom  was  taken 
up  by  the  christians,  especially  the  monks  and  ascetics  of  the  early  ages,  who  to- 
gether with  their  strict  profession,  and  almost  incredible  exercises  of  devotion, 
took  upon  them  a  particular  trade,  whereby  they  maintained  themselves.  The 
business  our  apostle  was  put  to,  was  that  of  tent-making,  whereat  he  wrought, 
for  some  particular  reasons,  even  afi^er  his  calling  to  the  apostleship.  An  honest 
but  mean  trade  ;  though  it  was  useful  and  profitable,  especially  in  those  warlike 
countries  where  armies  had  such  frequent  use  for  tents. 

Vol.  II.  3  T 


514  A  Complete  History 

» 
for  I  am  with  thee ;  preach  the  gospel  confidently  in  this 

place  ;  for  though  some  oppose  thee,  yet  thou  shalt  not 
be  personally  injured  ;  for  I  have  much  people  in  this 
citv,  to  v.hom  I  design  to  make  my  word  effectual." 
Upon  this  Paul  continued  at  Corinth  eighteen  months, 
preaching  the  gospel  to  them  of  Corinth  and  all  Achaia, 
and  further  instructing  and  coniirming  them  that  re- 
ceived it. 

During  Paul's  stay  at  Corinth,  Gallio  being  proconsul 
of  Achaia,  the  Jews  made  a  general  insurrection  against 
Paul,  and  brought  him  before  the  proconsul,  demanding 
justice  against  him,  complaining,  that  he  had  persuaded 
the  people  to  Morship  God  contrary  to  the  law  of  the 
Jews.  Paul  being  about  to  make  his  defence,  Gallio 
spake  thus  to  the  Jews,  "  Were  the  case  before  me  mat- 
ter of  injustice  or  scandal,  I  should  readily  take  cogni- 
zance of  it ;  but  since  the  question  betwixt  you  is  only 
a  verbal  controversy,  whether  Jesus  ought  to  be  acknow- 
ledged as  Messiah  ;  whether  christians  by  that  name  ought 
to  distinguish  themselves  from  the  incredulous  Jews,  and 
concerning  your  law  :  of  these  things  I  am  no  competent 
judge,  nor  does  it  belong  to  my  cognizance,  the  senate 
of  Rome  having  as  yet  made  no  law  against  the  christians, 
and  therefore  I  siiall  not  meddle  with  it."  Some  of  the 
natives  of  Corinth  seeing  the  proconsul  throw  the  in- 
dictment against  Paul  out  of  court,  took  Sosthenes  one 
of  the  rulers  of  the  Jewish  consistory,  that  appeared  for- 
ward in  this  complaint  against  him,  and  beat  him  in  open 
court :  the  proconsul  did  not  concern  himself  to  inter- 
pose at  all  in  the  affair,  being  perhaps  not  unwilling  that 
so  troublesome  a  plaintiff  as  Sosthenes  should  feel  the  con- 
sequence of  his  own  bigotry  and  ill-nature. 

After  this  Paul  staid  some  time  at  Corinth  ;  and  when 
he  went  from  thence,  took  with  him  Priscilla  and  Aquila, 
having  made  a  vow*  for  a  time  not  to  shave  his  head. 


*  Fow.  This  vow  was  probably  the  vow  of  the  Nazarites  among  the  Jews, 
Num.  vi.  5,  which  was  not  always  for  life,  but  sometinses  for  a  determinate  time, 
but  when  that  time  was  past,  one  part  of  the  vow  was,  to  be  shaved,  v.  18, 
and  to  offer  up  the  hair  (called  the  hair  of  separation)  to  put  it  in  the  fire.     But  be- 


uf  the  Hull/  B'tUc.  5ir> 

And  when  he  came  to  Ephesus  he  left  tlicm  there,  tcHin£( 
them  he  must  be  at  Jerubiilem  before  tlie  passover  ;  but 
iifterwards,  if  God  permitted,  lie  would  return  to  them. 
Then  going  by  sea  from  Epliesus,  he  landed  at  Caisarca, 
and  thence  went  uj)  to  Jerusalem,  and  visited  the  congre- 
gation of  christians  tiiere ;  and  having  done  so,  and  kept 
the  fearst  there,  he  went  from  thence  to  Antioch,  where 
having  spent  some  time,  he  took  his  leave,  and  travelled 
througii  Galatia  and  Phrygia,  confirming  the  churches  and 
instructing  all  the  new  converts. 

Some  time  after  Paul  had  left  Aquila  and  Priscilla  at 
Ephesus,  a  certain  Jew  named  Apoilos,  born  at  Alexan- 
dria, came  thither.  He  possessed  great  natural  eloquence, 
iuid  had  much  skill  in  the  writings  of  the  Old  Testament, 
and  was  well  in  instructed  in  the  gospel,  but  not  perfectly 
in  all  things  relating  to  it ;  yet  being  xer}^  fervent  in 
spirit,  and  earnestly  desirous  to  be  useful,  he  began  to 
preach  among  them  out  of  the  prophets ;  as  yet,  how- 
ever, he  had  but  an  imperfect  notion  of  the  truth,  being 
only  acquainted  with  the  baptism  of  John,  insisting 
upon  the  doctrine  of  repentance  and  faith  in  the  ex- 
pected Messiah.  Aquila  and  Priscilla  perceiving  that  he 
discovered  an  excellent  spirit,  were  desirous  of  promoting 
his  further  improvement  in  knowledge  and  usefulness  ; 
iiccordingly  they  took  him  to  their  own  house,  and  there 
explained  to  him  the  doctrines  of  the  gospel  more  com- 
])letely.  And  when  Apoilos  was  disposed  to  go  into 
Achaia,  the  christians  at  Ephesus  wrote  to  those  of  the 
church  of  Corinth  and  all  Achaia,  commendatory  letters. 
And  when  he  came  thither  he  was  very  useful  among 
them,   instructing   and   confirming  those,    who    by    the 


cause  this  vow  is  here  made  at  Cenchrea,  and  not  at  Jerusalem,  (where  the  ac- 
complishment of  the  vow  was  to  be  performed,  see  Numb.  vi.  13,)  it  is  most 
probable  that  this  shaving  here,  was  not  on  the  accomplishing  his  vow,  but  upon 
some  intervening  illegal  pollution,  in  which  case  he  was  bound  to  offer  for  a 
cleansing,  and.on  the  seventh  day  to  shave  his  head,  and  so  begin  the  days  again, 
ib.  c.  vi.  V.  11,  12.  This  probably  might  be  done  in  any  city,  where  a  man  hap- 
pened to  be  so  polluted;  but  the  completion  of  the  vow,  when  the  days  of  his  scr 
paration  were  fulfilled,  was  to  be  at  Jerusalem. 


516  A  Complete  liistori/ 

preaching  of  the  gospel,  had  been  converted  to  the  faiih, 
and  convinced  the  Jews  out  of  the  scriptures,  that  Jesus 
was  the  Messiah. 

Whilst  Apollos  was  at    Corinth,    Paul   took    his   wav 
through  the  upper  part  of  the  country,  to  Ephesus,  and 
finding    there    some   christian    professors   publishing  the 
gospel,  he  asked  them  whether  they  had  received  the  ex- 
tracrdinary  gifts  of  the  Holy   Ghost  since  they  believed  ? 
They  told  him,  they  had  not  so  much  as  heard  any  thing 
of  it.     Upon  which  he  said,  "•  How  can  that  be,  since  the 
christian   baptism  is  in   the  name  of  the  Holy  Ghost  ?" 
To  which  they  answ^ered,   "  That  John's  baptism  M-as  all 
they  had  received. "     Then  Paul  knowing  that  by  John's 
baptism  they  had  implicitly  acknowledged  Christ   under 
the  title  of  "  Him  that  should  come  after  him,"  he  ex- 
plicitly taught  them  the  whole  doctrine  of  Christ  and  the 
Holy  Ghost ;  and  when  they  heard  this  they  believed,  and 
Were  received  into  the  church  as  christian  Pioselytes  in 
the  name  of  the  Father,  Son,   and  Holy    Ghost.     After 
which,  Paul  laid  his  hands  upon  them,  and  they  received 
the  Holy  Ghost,  by  whose  power  they  immediately  spake 
with  new  tongues,  and  preached  to  the  great  edification 
of  the  church.     After  this  Paul  went  and  preached  the 
gospel  in  die  synagogues  that  were  at   Ephesus  to  the 
jews,  for  the  space  of  three  months,   labouring  to  con- 
vince them ;    but   instead  of  being  convinced,   they    not 
only   rejected    the  gospel,  but  spoke  reproachfully  of  it 
in  public   before   the   people  ;    whereupon   he  left  them, 
and  took  those  that  were  converted  by  themselves,  and 
instructed  them  daily  in  a  place    where  scholars  *  were 
taught  privately,  and  which  belonged  to  one  Tyrannus. 
This  he  did  for  the  space  of  two  years  ;  in  which  time  all 


*  Scholars.  There  were  two  kinds  of  schools  among  the  Jews,  wherein  the 
law  was  taught,  private  or  public.  Private,  wherein  any  doctor  entertained  scho- 
lars, and  such  was  this  of  Tyrannus  here,  under  ihc  title  of  "  Houses  of  Learn- 
ing," as  one  kind  of  their  holy  places;  their  schools  as  well  as  their  synagogxies 
being  accounted  so.  Their  public  schools  were  those  where  their  consistories  sat 
to  resolve  doubts  on  the  law. 


ofthellolijEihlc.  517 

ti^c  inhabitants  of  the  proconsular  Asia,  both  Jews  and 
Greeks,  had  tlie  gospel  preached  to  them.  And  to  add 
the  greater  efiicacy  and  success  to  the  doctrine  he  preach- 
ed, God  ^\TOught  many  extraordinary  and  uncommon 
miracles  by  the  hands  of  Paul,  insomuch,  that,  besides 
liis  curino:  those  who  were  brouf^ht  to  him,  handker- 
chiefs  or  aprons  Mere  carried  from  his  body  to  those  that 
were  sick  at  a  distance  ;  and  piesently  on  their  touching 
them,  the  diseases  they  were  alllicted  with  were  removed, 
and  the  e\il  spirits  themselves  came  out  of  them  that  were 
possessed,  which  soon  raised  the  reputation  of  the  apostle 
to  a  very  high  degree,  and  added  the  divine  attestation  to 
A\hat  he  taugiit  the  Ephcsians. 

Some  of  tliC  ^'agabond  Jews,  who  were  professed 
exorcists,  observing  this,  attempted  to  cast  out  devils 
by  using  the  name  of  Jesus ;  among  whom  were  the 
seven  sons  of  one  Sceva,  a  Jew,  one  of  the  chief  of  the 
families  of  the  priests,  A\ho  conjuring  the  evil  Spirit  in 
the  name  of  Jesus,  were  thus  answered  from  the  pos- 
sessed, "  Jesus  I  know,  and  Paul  I  know  ;  but  you  come 
not  with  any  authority  from  Jesus,  who  hath  given  it  to 
Paul."  And  the  man  who  was  possessed  fell  furiously 
upon  them,  tearing  off  their  clothes  and  wounding  thcni, 
so  that  they  fled  from  him.  This  being  soon  rumoured 
among  the  Jews  and  natives  of  Ephesus,  a  great  awe  and 
fear  prevailed  among  the  people,  and  the  name  of  the 
Lord  Jesus  was  exceedingly  magnified.  Many  also  who 
believed,  came  to  Paul,  confessing  their  former  course 
of  life,  to  know  what  they  should  do  :  and  many  that 
had  studied  and  practised  magical  arts,  brought  forth  their 
books  and  burnt  them  publickly,  though  they  were  of 
great  value.  Of  so  great  authority  was  the  word  of  God, 
as  it  was  preached  by  Paul  among  the  Ephesiansand  those 
of  Asia. 

After  this  Paul  determined,  as  he  went  through  Ma- 
cedonia and  Aciiaia,  to  go'to  Jerusalem,  and  from  thence 
to  Rome  ;  and  sending  into  Macedonia,  Timothy  and 
Erastus,  two  of  his  assistants,  himself  stayed  some  time 
in  Asia.  About  the  same  time  there  happened  a  great 
commotion ;  for  one  Demetrius,  a  silvcrsniith,  v,ho  ma- 


518  A  Complete  Histort/ 

nufactured  little  shrines*  of  silver,  with  the  image  of 
Diana  in  thtm,  had  many  of  the  same  profession  that 
wrought  under  him,  who  were  all  maintained  by  that 
employment.  All  these  therefore,  whose  livelihood  was 
concerned  in  it,  he  called  together,  and  thus  harrangued 
them,  "  Sirs,  ye  know,  that  by  this  employment  ^ve 
maintain  ourselves,  which  by  this  Paul's  preaching,  not 
only  here  in  Ephesns,  but  throughout  all  Asia,  is  in  great 
danger  of  being  ruined ;  for  he  hath  already  prevailed 
upon  many  people  to  forsake  our  manner  of  worship,  af- 
firming, that  they  are  not  true  gods  which  are  made  with 
hands,  and  still  persists  in  so  doing ;  whereby  not  only 
are  we  likely  to  lost  our  business,  but  the  worship  of  the 
great  goddess  Diana,  and  the  magnificence  of  her  temple 
will  be  despised." 

The  people  upon  hearing  this,  were  filled  with  rage, 
apprehending  both  their  trade  and  their  religion  to  be  in 
danger,  they  therefore  ran  about  the  city  and  cried  out 
v.ith  great  violence,  "  Great  is  Diana  of  the  Ephesians!!" 
And  the  city  uas  filled  with  confusion  ;  during  which  they 
seized  Gaius  and  Aristarchus,  two  of  Paul's  companions, 
and  hurried  them  away  to  the  theatre,  where  their  favour- 
ite games  were  celebrated  to  the  honour  of  that  deity ; 
and  when  Paul  heard  of  the  distress  and  danger  of  his 
friends,  and  would  have  gone  to  the  theatre  to  address  the 
people,  the  disciples  who  were  with  him  would  not  per- 
mit him  to  expose  his  valuable  person  ;  besides,  some  of 
the  prefects  of  the  games,  pereciving  the  ungovernable 
rage  of  the  populace,  kindly  sent  him  a  caution  not  to  stir 
out.  The  tumult  rather  increasinj^:  than  diminishinir, 
some  of  the  officers  brought   out  Alexander,  a    Jewish 


*  Shrines.  In  the  idolatr}-  of  the  heathens  they  used  to  carry  the  images  of 
then-  gods  in  procession  from  one  city  to  another.  This  they  did  in  a  chariot  con- 
secrated for  that  purpose.  But  besides  this  greater,  there  was  a  less  frame  where- 
in it  was  placed,  by  the  Romans  called  Ferculum,  not  much  unlike  that  which  the 
Greeks  called  Naos,  a  little  chapel,  representing  the  form  of  a  temple,  with  an 
image  in  it,  which  being  set  upon  the  altar,  or  other  solemn  place,  and  the  leaves 
of  the  door  opened,  the  image  appeared  sitting  or  standing  in  state,  and  so  was 
represented  to  the  spectators.  Similar  follies  in  the  worship  of  saints  and  angels 
distinguishes  the  adherents  to  the  church  of  Rome. 


of  the  JIuhj  Bible.  519 

proselyte  to  the  fjith,  and  examined  liim,  in  hopes  that 
he  would  excuse  himself,  and  lay  the  laull  upon  PauK 
Then  Alexander  beckoned  with  his  hand  for  silence, 
thinkinj^  to  make  his  defence;  but  the  Ephesians  knowing 
him  to  be  a  Jew,  and  supposing  he  was  of  Paul's  opinion, 
they  \\  ould  not  suftlr  him  to  speak ;  but  continued  for 
two  hours  running  up  and  down,  and  crying,  "  Great  is 
Diana  of  the  Ephesians  !" 

The  register  of  the  games,  seeing  the  tumult  still  in- 
crease, thought  it  high  time  to  compose  and  quiet  the 
people,  to  whom  he  made  the  following  speech  :  "  In- 
liabitynts  of  Ephesus,  ^vhat  man  is  there  in  the  world  that 
does  not  know  that  Ephesus,  among  the  cities  of  Greece, 
hath  the  honour  to  be  chief  in  the  worship  of  Diana,  be- 
cause her  temple  incloses  that  image  which  fell  down 
from  Jupiter?  This  being  granted  by  all,  what  need  is 
there  of  all  this  noise  ?  For  as  to  these  men,  whom  ye 
have  brought  hither,  they  have  neither  robbed  your  tem- 
ples, nor  spoken  any  thing  against  your  goddess  Diana ; 
and  as  for  Demetrius  and  the  artificers  that  depend  on 
him,  if  they  have  suffered  any  damage,  the  law  is  open  : 
but  if  you  have  any  other  suit  of  controversy  among  you, 
it  shall  be  referred  to  such  judicature  as  the' law  appoints  : 
for  we  are  in  danger  of  being  called  in  question  already 
for  this  day's  uproar,  there  being  no  cause  or  excuse 
for  it. "  Upon  \'\hich  the  muhitude,  without  any  further 
violence,  separated,  and  returned  to  their  own  habita- 
tions. 

This  commotion  being  appeased,  Paul  called  all  the  dis- 
ciples together,  and  having  left  Timothy  in  charge  of  the 
coiigregauon,  he  took  an  affectionate  leave  of  them,  and 
departed  from  Ephesus  to  go  into  Macedonia,  and  to  visit 
the  churches  planted  there. 

After  the  apostle  had  arrived  at  Macedonia,  and  spent 
several  months  in  his  tour  through  Philippi,  Amphipolis, 
ApoUonia,  Thessalonia,  and  Berea,  exhorting  and  com- 
forting the  Christians  in  all  those  parts,  he  went  from  thence 
into  Greece,  that  he  might  visit  the  churches  at  Corinth, 
and  in  the  neighbouring  cities  of  Achaia.  Here  he  conti- 
nued about  three  months,  and  as  he  was  going  from  thence 
to  Syria,  in  order  to  ctury  alms  to  Judea,  being  informed 


520  ,  A  Complete  History 

^         that  the  Jews  laidXvait  for  him,  he  altered  his  course,  and 
\  passed  through  Macedonia  a  third  time  ;    after  which  So- 

pater  accompanied  him  into  Asia  all  the  way  ;  but  Aris- 
tarchus,  Secundus,  Gains,  Timothy,  Tychicus,  and  Tro- 
phimus,  went  before  into  Asia,  and  waited  for  Paul  and 
his  company  at  Troas. 

After  the  passover  Paul  went  thither,  and  tarried  there 
seven  days ;  and  on  the  Lord's-day,  the  Christians  beini^ 
met  together  to  celebrate  the  euchartst,  Paul  preached  to 
them  at  large,  and  intending  to  depart  the  next  morning, 
he  continued  his  discourse  till  midnight.  A  certain  young 
man  named  Eutychus,  sitting  at  a  window  for  air,  and  fall- 
ing fast  asleep,  fell  out  of  the  window  the  depth  of  three 
stories.  This  had  proved  i'atal  to  him,  but  for  the  pre- 
sence of  Paul,  who,  laying  his  healing  hands  upon  him, 
restored  him  alive  to  his  friends.  The  apostle  then  return- 
ed to  his  work,  and  going  up  again  h)to  the  chamber  where 
the  assembly  met,  and  having  broken  bread  and  eaten  with 
the  rest  of  the  disciples,  he  continued  conversing  with 
them  even  till  the  break  of  day.  Bat  some  of  the  compa- 
ny went  before  by  sea  to  Assos,  intending  to  take  in  Paul, 
who,  meeting  them  there,  went  with  them  to  Mitylene. 
Passing  by  Chios,  the  next  diiy  they  arrived  at  Samos, 
and  tarried  at  Trogyllium,  and  the  day  after  came  to  Mi- 
letus ;  for  Paul,  intending  to  make  no  stay  in  any  part  of 
Asia,  ordered  them  not  to  stop  at  Ephesus,  because  he 
intended,  if  possible,  to  be  at  Jerusalem  at  the  feast  of 
Pentecost :  yet  being  desirous  to  speak  v.ith  the  elders  of 
Ephesus,  he  sent  a  message  requesting  an  interview  with 
them  at  Miletus. 

Where,  when  they  were  all  met,  Paul  addressed  to 
them  a  most  affectionate  discourse,  and  said  to  them, 
"  My  dear  brethren,  you  well  kno\v,  from  the  first  day 
that  I  came  into  Asia,  how  I  ha\'e  behaved  myself  an:iong 
you,  for  the  space  of  three  years,  preaching  tlie  gospel 
with  all  humility  and  affection,  and  amidst  many  trials 
occasioned  by  the  malice  of  the  Jews,  who  conspired 
against  my  life.  Ye  likewise  know,  that  I  never  con- 
cealed any  thing  that  might  be  for  your  advantage,  but 
freely  shewed  and  instructed  you  in  all  things  both  pub- 
licly and  privately ;  preaching  to  the  Jews  and  prosel}'tes 


of  the  Holy  Bible,  521 

in  their  synagogues,  and  to  the  Gentiles  elsewlicrc,  the 
whole  doctrr.ie  of  the  gospel,  and  urging,  \\  ith  the 
greatest  earnestness,  the  absolute  necessity  of  repentance 
towards  God,  and  of  a  living  fuilh  in  Christ,  in  order  to 
salvation. 

'*  And  now  I  am  going  to  Jerusalem,  willing  to  suffer 
what  shall  befall  me  there,  and  foreseeing  that  there  I 
shall  be  seized  and  imprisoned,  being  apprized  of  it  by 
those  that  have  the  spirit  of  prophecy.  .  However,  I  am 
prepared  for  it,  and  value  not  my  hfe,  if  I  may  but  be 
serviceable  in  the  ministry  with  which  Christ  has  en- 
trusted me.  And  now  this  I  know,  that  after  this  mv 
departure  from  you,  ye  will  never  see  my  face  again. 
And  therefore  I  declare  to  you  all,  that  I  am  innocent  of 
that  ruin,  which  I  foresee  will  befall  all  those  that  do  not 
adhere  to  Christ,  having  done  my  best  to  prevent  it  :  for 
I  have  fully  communicated  to  you  the  whole  Christian 
doctrine,  which  may  serve  you  as  an  antidote  against 
all  those  heresies,  which  are  likely  to  break  in  among  you. 
Wherefore  look  to  yourselves,  and  to  the  whole  flock, 
over  which  the  Holy  Spirit  hath  constituted  you  in- 
spectors ;  see  that  ye  diligently  feed,  with  wholesome 
doctrine,  the  church  of  God,  which  he  hath  redeemed 
with  his  own  precious  blood  :  for  it  is  certain,  that  when 
I  am  gone,  you  will  be  solicited  by  false  teachers,  who, 
like  so  many  mischievous  wolves,  will  enter  in  among 
you,  having  no  mercy  on  the  flock.  Yea,  some  among 
yourselves  will  vent  pernicious  doctrines,  to  make  divi- 
sions among  30U,  and  to  gain  followers.  Be  ye  careful 
therefore,  remembering  with  how  many  tears  I  have 
\\'arned  you  night  and  day  for  these  three  years  of  these 
things.  And  now,  brethern,  I  recommend  you  to  God 
and  the  gospel,  and  even  to  him  that  is  able  to  edify  you 
in  your  most  holy  faith,  and  to  give  you,  at  length,  an 
inheritance  in  glory,  among  all  them  that  are  prepared 
for  it  by  his  grace.  I  appeal  to  yourselves,  whether  I 
have  endeavoured  to  make  any  secular  advantage  bv  my 
labours  among  you.  Ye  can  all  bear  me  witness,  that  I 
have,  by  my  own  hands,  maintained  myself,  and  those  that 
were  with  me.  I  have,  by  my  actions,  set  an  example 
before  you,  and  shewed  you  all  things  relating  to  your 
duty,  how  that,  dius  labouring  as  I  have  done,  you  should 

Vol.  II.  3  U 


o22  A  Complete  History 

assist  the  needy  and  infirm,  according  to  that  saying  of 
Christ,   "  It  is  more  blessed  to  give  than  to  I'eceive. " 

When  Paul  had  ended  this  exhortation,  he  kneeled 
down  and  prayed  with  them  till.  And  taking  leave  of 
him  in  the  most  passionate  expressions  of  affection  and 
grief,  they  embraced  and  kissed  him  ;  but  his  expression, 
that  they  should  see  him  no  more,  affected  them  deeply, 
and  accompanying  him  to  the  ship,  they  took  their  final 
leave  of  him. 

After  this  sad  parting  from  the  elders  of  Ephesus,  Paul, 
with  his  attendants,  sailed  with  a  fair  gale  to  Coos ; 
thence  to  Rhodes,  and  so  to  Patara,  where  finding  a 
ship  bound  for  Phoenicia,  they  went  on  board,  and  put 
to  sea  ;  and  coming  within  sight  of  Cyprus,  they  left  it 
on  their  left  hand,  and  sailed  to  Syria,  and  landed  at 
Tyre,  for  there  the  sliip  was  to  unload  its  freight.  And 
meeting  there  with  some  that  had  received  the  gospel, 
and  were  endued  with  gifts,  particularly  that  of  pro- 
phecy, he  continued  with  them  seven  days  ;  and  they, 
by  revelation,  told  Paul,  that  he  would  incur  much  dan- 
ger by  going  to  Jerusalem,  and  therefore  dissuaded  him 
from  going  thither.  But  this  moved  him  not,  for  he 
left  that  place,  and  all  of  them,  men,  women,  and  children, 
attended  him  out  of  the  city,  and  there,  on  the  sea-shore, 
he  kneeled  down  and  prayed  at  parting. 

From  Tyre  they  went  to  Ptolemais,  where  the}"  tarried 
one  day  witii  the  disciples.  The  next  day  Paul  and  his 
friends  departed  from  Ptolemais,  and  travelling  by  land 
came  to  Ca^sarea,  and  visited  Philip  the  Evangelist,  who 
■  was  one  of  the  seven  deacons,  and  who  had  been  sent  by 
the  apostles  to  preach  the  gospel  in  Samaria  and  other 
places,  with  whom  they  lodged  some  time.  This  Philip 
had  four  virgin  daughters,  ail  of  them  endued  with  the 
spirit  of  prophecy ;  and  while  they  were  at  Phiiip^s 
house,  there  came  to  them  from  Judea  a  certain  prophet 
named  Agabus ;  w  ho,  after  the  manner  of  the  old  pro- 
phets, "which  often  propliesied  by  symbols,  took  Paul's 
girdle,  and  bound  his  own  hands  and  feet  with  it,  and 
said,  "  It  hatli  been  revealed  to  me,  that  alter  this  man- 
ner sIkiII  the  Jews  at  Jerusalem  bind  Paul,  and  deliver 
him  into  the  hands  of  the  Genliies."     Whereupon  the 


oftlic  lIoUj  Bihle.  .'523 

whole  compi'yiy,  \vitli  earnest  entreaties  and  tears,  bcgt^vd 
of  Paul  not  to  150  to  Jerusalem.  To  \vhoni  Paul,  sensi- 
bly afleeted  with  the  coneern  uhich  they  expressed  on  his 
aceount,  and  yet  resolutely  bent  on  ibllowing  what  he 
thought  tlie  evident  eall  of"  cluty,  replied,  "  Why  do  ye  af- 
fliet  nic,  and  by  your  lender  importunity  dissuade  me  from 
this  journey  ?  For  I  am  willing  to  sufier  bonds,  and  even 
death  itsell",  for  the  j^ropagation  of  the  gospel  of  the  Lord 
Jesus."  And  when  they  found  that  no  entreaties  eould 
prevail,  they  submitted  to  the  will  of  God. 

After  spending  these  days  at  Cassarea,  they  all  set  out 
for  Jerusalem,  taking  with  them  several  of  the  disciples 
of  C'sesarea,   particularly  Mnason  the  Cypriot,  \\\\o  had 
formerly  received   the   faith,    when   Paul   and   Barnabas 
were  at  Cyprus.     Being  arrived  at  Jerusalem,  they  were 
joyfully  received  by   the  fiiithful  there,  and  the  next  day 
they  w^aited  on  James,  who,  with  all  the  elders  of  Judea, 
were  assembled  together.     When  he  had  saluted  them, 
he   acquainted  them    with   the   success    of  his  ministry 
among  the  Gentiles.     Upon  which  they  blessed  God,  for 
the  wonderful  works  wrought  upon  the  heathen  idolaters 
by  his  preaching ;   and  after  that,  began  to  tell  him  what 
at  present  Avould  be  prudent  for  him  to  do,  not  so  much 
in  respect  of  the  unbelieving,  as  the  converted  Jews,  of 
whom  there  were  many  thousands  in  Judea,  who,  though 
they  had  received  the  gospel,  yet  continued  very  zealous 
for  the  observation  of  the  Mosaical  law.     *'  These  (said 
they)  have  heard  it  affirmed  of  thee,  that  thou  permittest 
the  Gentile  converts  to  remain  uncircumcised,  and  also 
that  those  Jews  that  are  dispersed  in  Asia,  and  elsewhere, 
whom  thou   hast  converted,  leave  off  circumcision   and 
other  ceremonies  of  the  Mosaical  law  at  thy  persuasion. 
This,  therefore,  w  ill  be  the  event  in  all  probability :  all 
the  Jewish  Christians  will  hear  of  thy  being  come  hither, 
and  will  throng  in  crowds  to  see  how  thou  behavest  th}'- 
self  in  this  matter.     Therefore  take  our  advice  :  there  are 
four  men  here  at  this  time,  who  have  taken  a  Nazarite's 
vow  upon  them,  which  being  accomplished,  they  are  to 
perform  the  ceremonies  prescribed.     These  do  thou  per- 
form with  them,  and  by  this  they  will  be  persuaded  that 
they  heard  false  reports  respecting  thee. 


524  A  Complete  History 

Paul  took  their  advice,  that  he  might  not  exasperate 
them,  and  went  into  the  temple,  and  did  all  that  was  requi- 
bite  for  a  Nazarite's  purification,  and  when  that  was  done 
gave  solemn  notice  of  it ;  upon  which  they  were,  accor- 
ding to  the  law  of  Moses,  to  make  an  offering  for  each 
person.  And  when  the  seven  days,  wherein  those  sacri- 
tices  were  to  be  performed,  were  near  an  end,  many  un- 
believing Jews  of  Asia,  that  had  before  opposed  him,  be- 
ing now  at  Jerusalem,  seeing  him  in  the  temple,  set  the 
muititude  upon  him,  who  seized  him,  crying  out,  "  This 
is  he  that  hath  taught  wherever  he  came,  that  the  Jews 
should  be  destroyed,  the  law  abolished,  and  the  temple 
laid  waste;  he  hath  profaned  the  temple  by*  bringing 
Greeks  into  it;  and  so  has  justly  forfeited  his  life  to  its 
injured  honours."  This  last  thing  they  spake  more  con- 
fidently than  truly ;  for  having  seen  Trophimus,  an  Ephe- 
sian,  with  him  in  the  city,  they  rashly  concluded  he  had' 
brought  him  into  the  temple. 

This  outcry  so  exasperated  the  rabble,  that  they  drag- 
ged him  violently  out  of  the  temple,  that  it  might  not  be 
defiled  with  his  blood,  and  immediately  the  temple  gates 
Avere  ordered  to  be  closed,  to  prevent  any  further  riot,  or 
violation  of  the  sacred  place ;  and  when  the  mob,  who  had 
now  got  him  into  their  cruel  hands,  were  about  to  murder 
him,  Lysias,  the  tribune  of  the  cohort,  being  informed  of 
his  danger,  immediately  sent  a  detachment  of  his  soldiers 
to  secure  him,  and  perceiving  him  to  be  very  obnoxious 
to  the  multitude,  commanded  him  to  be  bound  with  two 
chains.  Not  being  able  to  find  out  the  cause  of  this  up- 
roar by  reason  of  the  extreme  confusion,  he  committed 
Paul  to  the  tower  of  Antonia  ;  and  as  they  w  ere  going  up 
the  stairs  to  the  tower,  the  throng  of  the  Je^s  was  so 
pressing,  that  the  soldiers  were  forced  to  carry  Paul  in 
their  arms  to  secure  him  from  them ;  for  they  pursued 
him,  crying  out  to  have  him  put  to  death. 

When  Paul  was  at  the  tower  gate,  he  spoke  in  Greek 
to  the  commander,  and  asked  him  if  he  would  permit 
him  to  speak  to  him  ;  who  thinking  he  had  been  that 
Egyptian  false  prophet,  who  had  raised  a  sedition  in 
Judea  not  long  before,  and  had  procured  four  thousand 
to  follow  with  him,  he  seemed  unwilling  to   suffer  the 


of  the  IIolij  Bible.  525 

apostle  to  speak.  But  Paul,  explaining  himself,  told 
liim  he  was  a  eitizen  of  Tarsus,  which  enjoyed  the  Ro- 
man privileges  ;  and  ihtrelbre  he  hoped  he  \\'Ould  jiot 
deny  him  the  favour  of  vindiealing  himself.  When  the 
eaptain  of  the  guard  heard  this,  he  consented,  and  Paul 
standing  on  the  stairs,  and  beekoning  with  his  hand  lor 
silence,  he  addressed  himself  in  this  manner  to  them  in 
the  Hebrew  tongue  : 

*•'  Give  me  leave,  O  ye  people,  to  clear  myself  of  the 
accusation  brought  against  me.  I  am  a  Jew,  born  in 
Tarsus,  yet  brought  up  in  this  city,  under  the  tuition  of 
Gamahel,  and  in  the  way  of  my  education  was  as  zealous 
as  any  of  you  are  this  day;  for  I  persecuted  the  Chris- 
tians with  the  utmost  severity,  binding  and  imprisoning 
all  sorts,  without  distinction  of  age  or  sex.  For  the  truth 
of  this  I  appeal  to  the  Sanhedrim,  especially  the  high- 
oriest,  from  A\hom  I  received  a  commission  to  seize  all 
the  Christians  I  could  find  in  Syria,  and  bring  them  to 
Jerusalem  to  be  punished.  And  as  I  w^as  going  to  exe- 
cute this  commission,  being  near  Damascus,  I  was  sur- 
prised with  a  light  from  heaven,  and  falling  to  the 
ground,  a  voice  thundered  out  of  the  clouds,  saying, 
'  Saul,  Saul,  why  persecutest  thou  me  ?'  And  asking  who 
it  was,  I  received  this  for  answer,  '  I  am  Jesus  of  Naza- 
reth, whom  thou  persecutest. '  And  they  that  were  with 
me  saw  the  light  and  were  afraid,  but  no  one  heard  the 
voice  save  myself.  But  the  same  voice  bid  me  go  to 
Damascus,  where  I  should  receive  instructions.  Being 
blind  for  a  time,  I  was  led  to  Damascus  ;  and  Ananias,  a 
Christian,  came  and  by  the  command  of  the  Spirit  restor- 
ed my  sight ;  assuring  me,  that  God  had  chosen  me  to 
preach  the  gospel,  and  publish  to  all  men  the  things  which 
Christ  had  revealed  to  me;  in  order  to  which  I  wns  bap- 
tized, and  admitted  into  the  church.  And  at  my  first 
coming  to  Jerusalem  after  this,  as  I  was  praying  in  the 
temple,  I  fell  into  a  trance,  and  saw  Jesus,  and  he  com- 
manded me  to  hasten  from  this  place,  because  my  former 
zeal  against  the  gospel  would  hinder  my  preaching  of  it 
now.  Against  this  I  argued,  that  I  thought  it  would  fur- 
ther it  the  more,  instancing  in  my  persecuting  the  Chris- 


526  A  Complete  History 

tians,  and  assisting  at  the  death  of  Stephen,  which  I  pre- 
surned  might  convince  them  of  my  being  in  the  right,  and 
put  them  upon  inquiring  into  the  cause  of  my  change. 
But  this  did  not  prevail ;  -for  Christ  commanded  me  to 
depart  from  Jerusalem,  telling  me  he  would  make  me  his 
apostle  to  the  Gentiles." 

Thus  far  the  Jews  had  patience  to  suffer  him  to  speak ; 
but  when  he  mentioned  the  Gentiles,  and  his  commission 
to  them,  they  liiied  up  their  voices  in  the  most  out- 
rageous outcry,  saying,  "  Away  with  this  blasphemous 
fellow  from  the  earth,  for  he  is  not  worthy  to  live  a  mo- 
ment longer  on  it,"  And  while  they  were  thus  violent, 
making  as  if  tliey  would  stone  him,  and  shewing  very 
extravagant  signs  of  their  fury,  the  captain  commanded 
him  to  be  brought  into  the  tower,  where  he  should  be 
scourged  till  he  should  confess  by  what  means  he  had 
thus  incensed  the  people.  And  as  they  were  fastening 
him,  in  order  to  scourge  him,  Paul  said  to  the  captain, 
"  Do  the  Roman  laws  permit  you  to  deal  thus  with  a  Ro- 
man citizen,  before  sentence  is  passed  on  him  ?"  Upon 
this  the  captain  went  to  the  commander-in-chief,  advi- 
sing him  to  be  cautious  in  what  he  did  to  Paul,  for  he 
w-as  a  Roman.  The  commander  hearing  that,  came  and 
asked  Paul,  ^whether  it  was  so  ;  for,  said  he,  I  am  a  Ro- 
man, but  not  by  birth,  having  purchased  that  privilege. 
*'  But,"  said  Paul,  "  I  was  born  a  Roman."  This  put 
them  by  their  design  of  scourging  him,  and  not  a  little 
perplexed  the  commandant,  v^dio  leared  he  had  already 
done  more  than  he  could  answer  in  putting  Paul  in  irons. 
They  therefore  freed  him  from  his  chains  ;  but  yet  being 
desirous  to  know  the  bottom  of  the  business,  he  convened 
the  Sanhedrim,  and  brought  out  Paul  to  see  what  they 
would  object  against  him. 

The  Sanhedrim  being  assembled,  Paul  was  called ;  who, 
surveying  them,  with  his  usual  presence  of  mind,  thus 
began  his  speech  :  ''  Men  and  brethren,  though  I  am  now 
brought  before  you  as  a  maleflictor,  I  have  the  satisfaction 
of  being  conscious  that  none  can  justly  advance  any  charge 
against  me,  for  I  have,  even  to  this  day,  conducted  my- 
self, before  God,  in  all  good  conscience." 


I 


of  the  Ilobj  nihle.  527 

Ananias,  the  liigh-pricst,  lookin_£^  upon  this  introduc- 
tion as  a  very  great  insolence  and  presuni})tion,  and  fear- 
inej  the  rest  of  his  speech  w  ould  be  of  the  same  nature, 
resohed  effectually  to  stop  him,  and  therefore  comnuind- 
ed  the  officers  that  stood  near  him  to  strike  him  on  the 
mouth. 

Then  Pawl,  animated  on  a  sudden  by  a  secret  impulse 
of  a  prophetic  spirit,  said,  *'  God  is  about  to  smite  thee, 
O  thou  whited  nail !  for  sittest  thou  on  the  tribunal  of 
justice,  and  yet,  in  violation  of  the  law,  commandest 
thou  me  to  be  smitten  ?"  The  standers-by,  hearing  this, 
reproved  Paul  for  railing  ao-ainst  the  high-priest.  To 
^vhom  Paul  justified  himself,  saying,  "  I  did  not  *  ac- 
knowledge him  to  be  the  high-priest ;  for  it  is  written, 


*  Ackv.oviledge.  The  versions  make  St.  Paul  guilty  of  speaking  an  untruth, 
when  they  make  him  say,  "  I  wist  not,  brethren,  that  he  was  the  high-priest." 
Acts  xxiii.  5.  For  it  seems  impossible  that  St.  Paul  should  not  have  known  the 
greatest  part  of  the  members  of  the  Sanhedrim,  and  especially  the  high -priest, 
whose  garments  alone  were  enough  to  distinguish  him  from  others.  'Tis  true, 
that  for  some  years  before,  St.  Paul  had  not  been  at  Jerusalem,  and  that  Anani- 
as was  exalted  to  that  dignity  in  his  absence ;  besides  that,  there  was  then  such  a 
confusion  in  the  Jewish  government,  that  sometimes  three  different  high-priests 
were  chosen  in  one  year.  But  St.  Paul  having  lived  at  Jerusalem  many  years  be- 
fore, having  been  brought  up  at  the  feet  of  Gamaliel,  and  having  had  a  commis- 
sion to  persecute  the  Christians  at  Damascus,  it  is  not  to  be  presumed,  that  he  had 
so  lost  the  idea  of  those  persons  that  made  up  the  Sanhedrim,  that  he  could  not 
distinguish  them  when  he  returned  to  the  city.  It  is  likewise  observed  in  the  fol- 
lowing verse,  that  St.  Paul  perceived  one  part  of  the  council  were  sadducees,  and 
the  other  pharisees ;  which  he  could  not  have  done,  if  he  had  not  known  them. 
And  how  could  he  have  taken  the  high-priest  to  witness,  Acts  xxii.  5,  "  that  he 
persecuted  the  Christians  unto  death,"  if  he  had  not  known  him  ?  But  suppose  he 
did  not  know  Ananias  to  be  the  high-priest,  yet  he  could  not  but  know  he  was 
one  of  the  council.  Besides,  it  can  give  no  advantageous  opinion  of  St.  Paul,  that 
he  pronounced  those  words  against  Ananias,  "  God  shall  smite  thee,"  &c.  without 
knowing  him  ;  and  to  think  that  he  was  so  transported  with  anger,  that  he  did 
not  know  against  whom  he  denounced  this  prediction.  Is  it  not  more  natural  to 
acknowledge,  that  he  spoke  wisely,  and  by  the  direction  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  than 
to  imagine  him  to  have  excused  his  pretended  rashness  by  his  want  of  knowledge  r 
However  it  be,  if  this  Ananias  was  the  high-priest  of  tiie  same  name  with  him 


528  A  Complete  History 

Thou  shalt  not  speak  evil  of  the  ruler  of  thy  people."  But 
Paul,  perceiving  that  the  council  was  divided,  part  of  them 
being  pharisees,  who  believed  another  life  after  this,  and 
part  of  them  sadducees,  that  did  not ;  he  took  the  advan- 
tage of  their  division,  and  said,  "  I  was  by  my  education, 
and  still  am  in  judgment,  a  pharisee,  as  my  father  was, 
and  the  chief  thing  for  which  I  am  called  in  question  is, 
my  believing  that  there  is  another  life  after  this,  and  a  re- 
surrection from  the  dead,  which  is  a  pure  pharisaical  doc- 
trine, which  all  of  that  sect  do  hold  as  M'ell  as  I."  This 
speech  of  Paul's  increased  the  contention,  the  doctors  of 
the  law,  who  were  generally  pharisees,  taking  his  part, 
and  declaring  him  innocent;  saying,  "  If  God  hath  reveal- 
ed this  to  him,  let  us  not  oppose  the  will  of  God."  But 
their  dispute  turning  to  a  direct  tumult,  the  commandant 
of  the  guard,  fearing  Paul  would  be  destroyed  in  this  con- 
fusivon,  ordered  the  soldiers  to  take  him  by  force,  and  car- 
ry him  to  the  tower.  Where  the  night  following  he  saw 
a  vision  ;  the  Lord  Jesus  appeared  standing  by  him,  and 
encouraging  him,  said,  "  Fear  not,  Paul,  for  as  thou  hast 
avowed  and  defended  the  faith  here  at  Jerusalem,  so  shalt 
thou  also  bear  thy  testimony  to  me  at  Rome." 

This  peculiar  regard  of  the  divine  goodness  in  Paul's 
protection  ^^'as  immediately  verified  ;  for  early  the  next 
morning  above  forty  Jews  entered  into  a  conspiracy  to 
murder  him,  taking  an  oath  not  to  eat  or  drink  till  they 
had  dispatched  him.  The  ruffians  going  to  the  Sanhe- 
drim, acquainted  them  with  their  design,  and  put  them 
in  a  method  of  accomplishing  it  thus  :   "  Do  you  signify 


who  was  killed  with  the  son  of  Gamaliel  at  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  the  apos- 
tle's prediction  wanted  neither  apology  nor  retraction. 

These  considerations  have  obliged  expositors  to  have  recourse  to  another  signi- 
fication of  the  original  word,  which  seems  much  better  to  express  his  design. 
They  observe,  that  it  often  signifies  to  acknowledge ;  so  that  St.  Paul  is  so  far 
from  excusing  what  he  said,  that  he  declares  he  does  not  acknowledge  Ananias 
for  the  high-priest ;  not  only  because  that  office  had  ceased  at  the  death  of  Christ, 
who  afterwards  was  to  be  the  only  liigii-priest,  as  he  declares,  Heb.  ix.  but  also 
because,  in  effect,  Ananiaswasnot  the  true  high-priest,  having  only  usurped  this 
office,  which,  by  right,  belonged  to  Gamaliel,  called  Simeon,  or  to  Ishmael,  ox 
to  Josephus,  and  had  made  himself  master  of  it  by  bribery. 


of  the  Ihhj  mUe.  529 

to  the  commandant,  tliat  you  must  examine  Paul  upon 
some  intcrrotijviloiics,  and  order  him  to  bring  him  bciore 
}"ou,  and  by  the  way,  bcfojc  he  can  come  to  the  coun- 
cil, we  will  lie  in  ambush  and  kill  him."*  This  they 
aj^reed  upon  ;  but  God  had  otherwise  determined.  For 
Paul's  nephew,  hearing  of  their  intended  ambuscade, 
hastened  to  die  castle,  to  give  his  uncle  timely  notice. 
Which  he  no  sooner  received,  than  he  called  to  the  cap- 
tain of  the  guard,  and  desired  him  to  conduct  the  young 
man  to  the  commandant,  to  whom  he  had  something  oi' 
importance  to  conimunicate.  The  captain  very  oblig- 
ingly did  as  Paul  desired,  and  withdrawing  left  them  to- 
gether. Then  the  conmiandant  taking  the  youth  aside 
asked  his  business  ;  who  acquainted  him  with  the  Jews' 
design  upon  Paul's  life,  desiring  his  protection  for  his 
imcle.  The  commandant  hearing  this,  obliged  the  }outh 
to  silence,  and  dismissed  him  :  then  calling  for  two  cap- 
tains, he  bid  them  get  thei]  companies  in  readiness  for 
an  expedition,  and  convey  Paul  to  Felix  the  governor, 
to  whom  he  wrote  a  letter,  giving  him  an  account  of  the 
whole  aftair,  and  referring  the  determination  of  Paul's 
case  to  him.  This  was  immediately  put  in  execution, 
and  that  night  they  attended  Paul  as  far  as  Antipatris ; 
where  the  foot  left  him,  and  the  horse  conducted  him  to 
Caesarea,  where  the  governor  resided,  to  whom  they  de- 
livered Paul  with  the  commandant  of  Jerusalem's  letter  ; 
W'hich  when  Felix  had  read,  and  understanding  of  w'hat 
province  Paul  was  a  native,  he  dismissed  the  guard, 
and  told  him  he  would  hear  him  when  his  accusers  came; 
in  the  mean  time  securing  him  in  the  hall  called  Herod's 
Hail. 

Paul  having  thus  escaped  the  conspiracy  of  the  Jew's  by 
the  prudence  and  care  of  Claudius  Lysias,  and  being  now 
imder  the  protection  of  Felix,  the  procurator  of  Judea, 
the  Sanhedrim  and  their  ruffians  were  disappointed ;  yet 
they  resolved  to    pursue  him  as  long  as  he  was  witlihi 


•  Such  execrable  vows  as  these  were  not  unusual  with  the  Jews,  who  preten- 
ded a-  right  to  punish,  without  legal  process,  those  whom  they  conKidered  as  blas- 
phemers of  the  law. 

Vol.  II.  3  X 


530  .A  Complete  History 

reach  of  their  malice.  Five  days  after  his  arrival  at  Ca?- 
sarea,  Ananias  the  High-Priest,  with  some  others  of  the 
Sanhedrim,  and  a  certain  lawyer  named  Tertullus,  came 
thither,  and  broiis:ht  their  accusation  against  Paul.  Ter- 
tullus  being  admitted  to  speak,  began  his  plea  with  a  flat- 
tering oration  to  Felix,  telling  him  how  happy  the  Jews 
had  been  in  all  places  under  his  administration,  and  how 
thankful  they  were  to  him  for  it.  Then  begging  his  at- 
tention in  what  he  had  to  say  against  Paul,  he  began 
■thus  :  "  May  it  please  )'our  excellency,  as  we  enjoy 
great  peace  under  your  administration,  and  many  illus- 
trious deeds  are  happily  effected  by  your  wise  and  pru- 
dent govenmient,  we  accept  it  always,  most  noble  Felix, 
with  all  thankfulness.  I  humbly  beseech  you,  with  your 
wonted  candour,  to  listen  to  the  charge  we  have  to  bring 
against  this  notorious  offender;  for  we  have  found  this 
man  a  most  pestilent  fellow,  and  a  mover  of  sedition  against 
the  present  government  of  the  F^mans.  Besides,  he  is 
a  ringleader  of  the  detestable  sect  of  the  Nazarenes,  dian 
which  none  ever  sprung  up  among  the  Jews  more  disho- 
norable and  impious.  He  has  also  had  the  audacity  to 
profane  the  sacred  temple  at  Jerusalem,  by  introducing 
strangers  within  nhe  boundaries  from  which  they  are  ex^ 
eluded,  even  by  your  authority  as  well  as  by  our  law,  on 
pain  of  death.  For  these  crimes  we  apprehended  him  a 
few  dciys  ago,  and  would  have  proceeded  against  him  ac- 
cording to  law  ;  but  I  am  sorry  to  say  that  we  have  been 
prevented  by  Lysias  the  tribune,  who  coming  upon  us 
with  an  armed  force,  took  him  by  violence  out  of  our 
liands,  and  so  interrupted  the  course  of  justice.  Nor 
should  we  have  troubled  your  excellency  with  these  com- 
plaints, had  not  that  officer  commanded  us  to  appear  be- 
fore thee,  to  whom  we  now  conlidcntly  commit  the  de- 
cision of  this  cause." 

To  this  accusation  the  Jews  assented,  and  confirmed 
the  truth  of  all  that  Tertullus  had  asserted,  who  having 
thus  delivered  his  charge,  Paul  by  order  of  the  governor, 
made  his  defence. 

"  I  am  the  more  ready  to  answer  for  mvself  before 
tlice,  O  Felix,  l:)ecause  tl;ou  hast  been  for  manv  years 
tliC  procurator  of  this  nation.     About  twelve  days  ag-o,  I 


of  the  ILlij  midi!^  5.TI 

went  up  to  Jerusalem  to  keep  the  feast  of  pcntecost, 
"where  I  behaved  myself  in  the  most  ordcrh^  and  fiuiet 
inanncr,  causing  no  disturbance,  and  raisinj^  no  sedition 
either  in  tiie  city  or  synat^ogues.  But  as  for  that  part  of 
the  accusation,  that  I  am  a  promoter  of  the  sect  of  the 
Nazarenes,  as  tliey  call  it,  I  irankly  confess  it ;  and  that 
there  shall  be  a  life  after  this ;  nor  can  my  accusers  pro- 
duce any  evidence  to  the  contrary.  And  in  this  relir;ion 
and  practice  I  am  careful  to  live  blamelessly,  and  to  do 
my  duty  in  all  things  towards  God  and  man.  As  for 
what  they  pretend,  of  my  profaninj^  the  temj^le,  thus  it 
Avas  :  many  years  after  my  con\'ersion  to  Christianity,  1 
was  sent  by  the  pious  Jews  of  other  parts  of  Judea  and 
Jerusalem,  with  their  alms  and  free-will  oblations.  And 
whilst  I  was  doing  this,  some  Jews  of  Asia  saw  me  in  the 
temple,  where  I  v^as  so  for  from  profaning  it,  that  I  did 
nothing  but  what  the  lav/  required  of  me,  without  any 
tumult  or  disorder.  Nay,  I  appeal  to  my  enemies  here 
present,  whether,  when  I  was  brought  before  the  council 
at  Jerusalem,  I  was  not  dismissed  without  any  thing  of 
moment  charged  and  proved  against  me.  There  is  but 
one  thing  can  be  urged  against  me,  and  that  none  but  the 
Sadducees  will  charge  me  with,  which  is,  my  acknowledg- 
ing the  resurrection,  and  that  is  chargeable  on  the  Phari- 
sees as  well  as  me." 

When  Felix  had  thus  heard  the  matter  on  both  sides, 
he  put  them  off,  saying,  "  When  I  know  more  exactly 
the  nature  of  the  question  concerning  the  christian  reli- 
gion and  your  law,  I  will  determine  :  and  as  to  the  tumult 
said  to  be  excited  by  Paul,  when  Lysias  comes,  his  evi- 
dence will  decide  it."  And  dismissing  the  assembly,  he 
remanded  Paul  to  prison,  permitting  any  friend  to  visit 
and  assist  him. 

A  few  days  after  this  hearing,  Drusilla,  the  wife  of 
Felix,  a  Jewess,  coming  to  Ca^sarca,  Felix  was  inclined 
to  gratify  her  curiosity  as  well  as  his  own,  in  hearing  him 
discourse  at  large  concerning  the  faith  of  Christ ;  and 
sending  for  him,  he  desired  him  to  let  them  hear  what  he 
could  say  in  defence  of  this  doctrine.  Paul,  knowing  tlic 
character  of  his  hearers,  took  occasion  to  insist  particu- 
larly on  the  great  obligation  of  observing  justice  bctweeij 


532  A  Cofnpiefe  History 

man  and  man,  and  concerning  temperance,  as  he  l^new 
that  Fehx  and  Dnisilla  had  notoriously  violated  both ;  and 
to  enforce  his  reasonings,  faithfully  admonished  all  who 
heard  him,  of  that  awful  and  tremendous  judgment  to 
come,  when  the  greatest  personages  must  appear  before 
the  righteous  tribunal.  And  as  he  insisted  on  these  three 
branches  of  the  christian  doctrine,  wherein  Felix  was  so 
much  concerned,  he  trembled  ;  and  being  uneasy  to  hear 
such  doctrines  as  stung  his  conscience  to  the  quick,  he 
abruptly  stopped  the  apostle,  dismissing  him  for  the 
present,  and  promising  to  take  a  future  opportunity  to 
see  and  hear  him.  Paul  having  continued  in  custody  two 
years,  Felix  was  by  Nero  removed  from  his  place,  and 
Fortius  Festus  succeeded  him  :  and  though  Felix  had  no 
reason  to  treat  Paul  unkindly,  yet  being  a  man  that  had 
practised  much  cruelty  and  injustice  in  his  government, 
and  being  a  great  lover  of  money,  whether  gained  by  bri- 
bery, extortion,  or  otherwise,  yet  either  because  Paul  did 
DOt  olpjr  him  money  to  procure  his  liberty,  or  whether  it 
was  merely  to  gratify  the  Jews  at  parting,  he  left  Paul  in 
prison. 

Festus  had  no  sooner  entered  upon  his  government, 
but  he  went  from  Caesarea  to  Jerusalem,  w  hen  the  High- 
priest  and  other  members  of  the  Sanhedrim  accused  Paul, 
and  very  pressiugly  solicited  the  governor  to  send  for 
him  to  Jerusalem,  intending  to  lay  an  ambuscade  in  the 
way  to  kill  him.  But  Festus,  not  over  fond  of  granting 
favours  to  the  Jews,  told  them  he  had  left  Paul  in  prison 
at  Citsarea,  whither  he  himself  should  shortly  go,  and 
hear  the  cause  between  them,  ordering  those  that  were 
concerned,  to  appear  against  him  there.  Festus,  after 
ten  days'  stay  at  Jerusalem,  returned  to  Caesarea ;  and  the 
court  being  seated,  Paul  was  brought  before  him,  the 
Jews  accusing  him  of  many  crimes,  but  proving  nothing  ; 
for  he  cleared  himself  of  the  accusation,  making  it  plainly 
appear,  that  he  had  not  offended  against  the  INIosaical  law ; 
the  sanctity  of  the  temple,  or  the  Roman  government. 
But  nolvvithst:.nding  Paul's  innocence,  Festus,  willing  to 
oblige  the  jews,  thought  his  putting  the  question  to  Paul 
lo  be  tried  at  Jerusalem  would  have  sufticiently  induced 
him-  to  consent.     But  Paul,  too  sensible  of  the  malice  of 


of  the  Holt/ Bible,  533 

his  enemies,  and  which  he  sometime  since  escaped,  was 
iinnillinu^  to  trust  hiniscH' in  their  power,  which  he  found 
he  eould  no  way  avoid  Ijut  by  plcadini^  his  privilci^e  us  a 
Roman  citizen.  "  I  am,  says  he,  a  Roman,  and  oni^'ht 
not  to  be  judii;ed  by  the  Jewish  Sanhedrim  or  kiMs,  which 
I  have  not  violated,  but  by  the  Roman  ;  and  if  1  have 
done  anv  thing  which  by  the  Rom;m  laws  is  vvorthy  of 
death,  1  desire  no  mercy  :  but  if  their  accusations  are  in- 
valid, and  I  am  free  from  the  charge  of  having  injured 
them,  I  sec  no  reason  why  I  should  be  delivered  up  to 
mine  enemies,  and  make  them  my  judges.  To  prevent 
which  I  appeal  to  Caesar."  Festus,  finding  Paul  resolute 
in  maintaining  his  privilege,  conferred  with  those  of  the 
Jewish  Sanhedrim  who  came  to  the  trial ;  and  .not  daring 
to  refuse  Paul's  appeal,  he  told  him,  "  Since  thou  hast  ap- 
pealed to  Caesar,  to  Ceesar  thou  shalt  go." 

Some  time  after  this,  Agrippa,  who  succeeded  Herod 
in  the  Tetrarchate  of  Galilee,  with  his  sister  Berniee,  came 
to  Csesarea  to  pay  a  visit  to  Festus,  who  acquainted 
Agrippa  with  Paul's  case  in  the  following  manner : 
"  There  is  a  certain  man  left  in  custody  by  Felix,  against 
whom  the  Jews  brou8:ht  an  information,  and  immediatelv 
demanded  judgment.  But  I  told  them,  it  was  not  the 
custom  of  the  Romans  to  pronounce  sentence  of  death 
against  any  man  before  he  be  confronted  with  his  accusers, 
and  have  liberty  to  make  his  defence,  and  that  therefore 
they  must  of  necessity  come  to  me  here  ;  which  they  did, 
and  the  man  appeared  innocent.  Whereupon  I  remanded 
him  to  prison  till  I  could  conveniently  send  him  to  Cassar 
at  Rome." 

This  account  of  Paul  excited  much  curiosity  in  Agrippa 
to  see  him,  in  which  Festus  promised  to  gratify  him  the 
next  day,  when  Agrippa,  Berniee,  and  Festus,  appeared 
with  great  pomp  and  splendor.  The  company  being 
seated,  Festus  sent  for  Paul,  whom  he  thus  introduced : 
"  This  is  the  man,  O  king  Agrippa  !  against  whom  the 
Jews  in  general  have  made  complaint,  as  against  a  most 
notorious  malefactor.  But  when  I  understood  he  had 
committed  no  capital  crime,  and  that  he  had  amcaled  to 
the  emperor  at  Rome,  thither  I  have  dcterniined  to  send 
him.     And  being  uncertain  what  to  write  concerni^  him 


534  A  Complete  Hlstoi'ij 

to  the  empcrof,  I  have  brought  him  forth  before  this 
assembh%  and  especially  before  your  Majesty,  that  after 
due  examination  I  might  have  something  to  write  :  for  it 
would  appear  preposterous  to  send  a  man  a  prisoner 
without  a  specific  charge  against  him."  When  Festus 
had  ended,  Agrippa  told  Paul  he  had  liberty  to  speak  for 
himself;  who  desiring  silence  of  the  audience,  began  his 
speech  thus  : 

"  1  cannot  but  think  myself  happy,  O  king  Agrippa,  in 
that  I  am  permitted  to  make  my  defence  against  the  accu- 
sation Laid  by  the  Jews  before  your  majesty,  whom  I  know 
to  be  a  perlect  master  of  the  Jewish  laws  and  customs ; 
and  for  which  reason  I  l)eg  your  candid  attention." 

"  My  manner  of  life  from  my  youth,  which  was  among 
the  Jews  at  Jerusalem,  they  all  know  ;  and  that  I  was  a 
Pharisee,  a  sect  the  strictest  of  all  others  in  the  Jewish 
religion.  And  accordingly  now  I  am  accused  for  asserting 
the  resurrection  of  the  dead,  which,  as  it  is  a  doctrine 
acknovi'Icdged  by  the  Pharisees,  so  is  it  a  fundamental 
promise  made  by  God  of  old,  generally  depended  on  by 
the  Jews,  md  in  hopes  of  which  the}'  spend  their  time  in 
piety  and  obedience  to  God :  and  yet  for  believing  and 
expecting  this  I  am  accused  by  these  Jews.  Why  should 
it  be  an  incredible  thing  with  you,  that  God,  who  is  om- 
inpotent,  should  raise  the  dead  ?  I  confess  I  was  once  of 
opinion  that  I  was  obliged  to  persecute  this  profession 
and  doctrine  of  Christ,  which  I  did  in  Jerusalem  ;  and 
many  holy  men  and  women  I  hurried  to  prison,  the  chief 
priests  authorizing  me;  and  when  any  of  them  were  put 
to  death,  1  was  consenting  and  active  in  it.  And  in  other 
cities  besides  Jerusalem,  I  brought  them  into  the  courts  of 
juchcature,  and  used  most  severe  means  to  make  them 
deny  Christ,  and  was  so  fierce  against  them,  that  I  forced 
them  to  fiee  to  heathen  cities,  and  then  pursued  them 
tiijthcr.  And  this  I  was  going  to  repeat  when  from  the 
Sanhedrim  1  received  authority  to  go  to  Damascus  ;  but 
at  noon-day,  O  king!  I  saw  a  light  from  heaven,  hv 
exceeding  the  splendor  of  the  sun,  which,  unable  to  sup- 
port, struck  me  and  those  that  accompanied  me  to  the 
X ground  ;  and  instandy,  I  very  distinctly  heard  a  voice, 
Laying  to  me,  in  the  Hebrew  tongue,  *'  Saul,  Saul,  why 


of  the  Holy  Bible.  5'35 

persGcutest  thou  me  ?"  And  wlien  I  found,  to  my  great 
ubtonishmciit  lliat  it  was  Jesus  of  Nazareth  who  spoke  to 
me  from  heaven,  I  Wiis  dirceted  by  him  to  become  a  mi- 
nister of  that  doctrine  which  I  had  before  persecuted,  and 
endeavoured  to  stifle,  and  received  a  commission  to  pub- 
lish tlic  gospel  to  the  Gentiles,  to  instruct  them  in  their 
duty,  to  turn  them  from  their  idolatrous  worship  to  the 
service  of  the  true  God,  tliat  by  repentance  they  might 
receive  forgiveness  of  their  sins,  and  beheving  in  Christ 
enjoy  an  eternal  portion  of  bhss  among  the  saints  of  God. 
And  for  this  I  was  assaulted,  and  in  danger  of  being  killed 
in  the  temple.  But  God  rescued  me,  and  by  his  blessed 
assistance  I  continue  my  dut}^  preaching  nothing  in  effect 
but  what  is  perfectly  agreeable  to  the  writings  of  Moses 
and  the  prophets,  who  foretold  lliat  Christ  should  be  put 
to  death,  and  that  by  his  rising  again,  both  Jews  and  Gen- 
tiles should  be  brought  to  believe  in  him." 

Here,  Festus  interrupting  Paul,  cried  out,  with  a  loud 
voice,  "  Paul',  thou  art  distracted,  much  study  of  these 
ancient  records,  drives  thee  to  madness,  or  thou  wouldest 
never  relate  such  incredible  things!" 

But  Paul,  with  the  most  perfect  command  of  himself, 
calmly  and  gravely  replied,  "  I  am  in  my  perfect  senses, 
most  noble  Festus,  and  what  I  say  is  true,  without  ex- 
cess or  extravagance.  I  appeal  to  king  Agrippa,  before 
whom  I  use  this  freedom  of  speech,  and  am  confident 
he  knows  all  this  to  be  true.  The  life,  death,  and  resur- 
rection of  Christ,  were  things  of  public  notoriety,  and 
cannot  be  a  secret  to  him  that  v/as  a  Jew  born.  Be- 
lievest  thou  the  prophets,  O  king?  I  am  satisfied  thou 
dost;  and  knowest  their  predictions  to  be  fulfilled." 
Then  Agrippa  candidly  said  to  Paul,  "  Thou  hast  given 
such  an  account  of  these  matters,  and  in  so  natural  and 
earnest  a  manner,  that  instead  of  condemning  thee  for 
being  a  christian,  I  am  almost  persuaded  to  become  one 
myself!''  And  Paul,  powerfully  struck  with  so  remarka- 
ble an  acknowldgment,  said,  with  great  fervency  of  spi- 
rit, and  yet  with  perfect  decorum,  "  O  king,  I  would  to 
God,  that  not  only  Thou,  but  also  all  who  hear  me  to- 
day, were  both  almost  and  altogether  such  as  I  am,  ex- 
cept these  bonds. "     Upon  this  the  assembly  broke  uo; 


536  A  Complete  History 

and  when  Agrippa  and  Festus  had  consulted  together 
about  Paul's  case,  they  freely  owned  that  the  accusation 
laid  against  him  was  not  punishable  by  death  or  imprison- 
ment, the  emperors  having  not  as  yet  made  any  edict 
against  christians;  and  that,  if  he  had  not  appealed  to 
Rome,  he  ought  to  Iiave  been  discharged. 

And  now  an  opportunity  offering,  Festus  sent  Paul  to 
Rome,  under  a  guard  commanded  by  one  Julius,  in  a 
ship  belonging  to  Adramytium,  a  sea-port  of  Mysia  ; 
and  taking  Aristarchus  of  Thessalonica  with  them,  they 
coasted  along  Asia  till  they  arrived  at  Sidon,  where  Ju- 
lius, who  treated  Paul  very  respectfully,  gave  him  leave 
to  go  ashore  and  refresh  himself.  Sailing  from  thence, 
they  came  in  sight  of  Cyprus,  where  they  were  to  lie  by 
a  while ;  but  the  winds  preventing,  they  passed  the  seas 
of  Cilicia  and  Pamphylia,  and  came  to  Myra,  a  maritime 
city  of  Lycia.  Here,  Julius  finding  a  ship  belonging  to 
Alexandria  bound  for  Ital}^,  took  his  charge  on  board 
her,  and  with  much  ado  made  Salome,  a  city  of  Crete, 
from  whence,  after  many  days  slow  sailing,  they  arrived 
at  the  Fair-Havens  near  Lasea ;  where  Paul  persuaded 
the  Captain  to  wait  for  more  seasonable  weather,  for 
they  had  been  long  beating  at  sea  with  contrary  Avinds 
and  very  stormy  weather :  but  notwithstanding  Paul's 
advice  was  prophetical,  telling  them  that  if  they  thus 
obstinately  pursued  the  voyage,  they  would  not  only  ha- 
zard the  ship  and  goods,  but  also  their  lives ;  yet  Ju- 
lius, preferring  the  judgment  of  the  master  of  the  ship, 
they  put  to  sea,  intending  to  reach  Phzenice,  a  harbour  of 
Crete,  where  there  was  safe  riding,  and  there  to  winter ; 
and  the  wind  blowing  gently  at  South,  they  questioned 
not  in  the  least  gaining  their  point.  But  they  were  soon 
mistaken ;  for  the  wind  suddenly  veering  about,  blew  so 
very  hard  at  north-east,  that  the)-  were  forced  to  drive  be- 
fore it.  And  coming  under  a  little  island  called  Clauda, 
they  had  like  to  have  lost  their  boat,  but  with  much  diffi- 
culty recovering  it,  they  hoisted  it  into  the  ship ;  and  be- 
ing unable  to  carry  any  sail,  they  lowered  them  upon  deck, 
and  so  drove  at  the  mercy  of  the  winds.  But  the  storm 
continuing,  the  next  day  th(y  iiL;hf.e!tcd  ihe  ship,  ar.d  the 
day  following  they  were  forced  to   cut  their   masts   by 


of  the  Holy  Bible.  537 

the  board,  and  throw  all  their  tackle  overboard.  And 
now  the  storm  increasing,  and  neither  sun  nor  stars 
for  many  da3-s  appearing;,  they  despaired  of  escaping, 
which  Paul  seeing,  spoke  thus  to  the  company  :  ''  Sirs, 
had  vou  taken  my  advice  in  staying  at  Crete,  ye  had  not 
run  this  hazard  ;  but  take  comfort,  for  we  shall  suffer  no 
loss  but  the  ship.  This  I  can  assure  you  from  the  mouth 
of  God,  w  hose  angel  this  night  appeared  to  me,  sa}-ing, 
*  Fear  not,  Paul,  for  thou  must  be  brought  before  Caesar, 
and  God  hath,  for  thy  sake,  granted  life  and  safety  to  all 
them  that  are  with  thee  in  the  ship.'  Wherefore  be  of 
good  cheer,  for  I  am  confident  that  tiiis  vi-^ion,  seeing  it 
comes  from  God,  will  certainly  be  made  good.  But  I 
know  also,  that  the  ship  will  assuredly  be  wrecked,  and 
we  shall  aret  safe  to  land  on  an  island." 

Driving  thus  for  fourteen  days  at  the  mercy  of  the 
■wind  and  waves,  about  midnight,  the  sailors  fancied  they 
were  near  land,  and  throwing  the  lead,  they  sounded, 
and  found  it  twenty  fithoms  ;  then  fifteen  ;  and  it  being 
night,  and  apprehending  they  might  strike  upon  some 
shelves  in  the  dark,  they  threw  four  anchors  a-stern,  and 
waiied  for  day.  And  now  the  seamen,  resolving  to  shift 
for  themselves,  had  hoisted  the  boat  over-board,  pre- 
tending to  moor  the  ship  forward,  as  they  had  done  abaft. 
But  Paul  said  to  Julius,  "  Though  I  told  you  that  no  one 
person  in  the  ship  should  perish,  yet  it  was  upon  condi- 
tion that  you  would  believe  and  trust  God  for  yonr  pre- 
servation, and  that  the  seamen  tarry  in  the  ship,  and  do 
their  duty,  and  not  attempt  to  escape  by  the  boat ;  which, 
if  they  do,  you  will  all  be  in  danger  of  your  lives."  Up- 
on this  the  soldiers,  to  prevent  the  seamen's  design,  cut 
the  ropes,  and  let  die  boat  drop  :  and  in  the  space  between 
that  and  dav-break,  Paul  advised  them  to  refresh  them- 
selves  with  food,  tellins;  them  thev  had  so  solieitouslv  at- 
tended  the  fate  of  this  fourteenth  dity,  with  such  anxious 
care,  that  they  had  no  leisure  or  thought  of  eaiing,  and  so 
had  fasted  till  that  time  of  night,  eating  nothing*   all  the 


•  Kotbing.  He  that  is  said  to  fast,  is  he  that  eateth  nothing  all  day  long ;  and  so 
it  is  explained  here,  Acts  xxvii.  33,  "  Having  taken  nothing."    The  meaning 

Vol.  II.  3  Y 


538  A  Complete  History 

day  before.  Therefoi-e,  saith  he,  "  I  advise  you  all  now 
to  eat,  for  you  ^vill  escape  the  danger,  and  refreshing 
yourselves,  you  will  be  the  better  able  to  bear  the  difii- 
cnlties  you  are  to  expect."  And  he  set  them  an  example, 
taking  bread  and  blessing-  God,  they  all  eat,  and  were  re- 
freshed ;  and  the  number  of  all  that  were  in  the  ship  was 
two  hundred  and  seventy-six,  including  soldiers  and  pas- 
sengers. After  this  refreshment,  they  fell  cheerfully  to 
work,  unloading  tiie  vessel  not  only  of  goods,  but  of  the 
provisions,  and  throwing  them  into  the  sea,  with  a  view 
to  li<2;htcn  hero 

When  it  was  day,  they  discovered  a  creek  and  a  haven, 
into  which  they  endeavoured  to  steer  ;  and  when  they  had 
Meighed  tlie  anchors,  they  made  for  the  shore,  and  run 
the  ship  aground.  The  soldiers,  seeing  land  near,  advised 
the  captain  to  kill  the  prisoners,  lest  they  should  escape  ; 
but  he  would  not  listen  to  them,  having  a  great  desire  to 
save  Paul,  to  whom  he  continued  his  former  respectful 
carriap-e  :  and  therefore  commanded  them  that  could  swim 
to  throw  themselves  into  the  sea  iirst,  and  the  rest  on 
broken  planks  and  pieces  got  safe  to  land.  Where,  when 
they  were  all  arrived  safe,  they  knew  the  place  to  be  the 
island  Melita,  or  Malta.  *     And  here  the  islanders,  seeing 


llieretore  of  this  j)!ace  (without  any  miracle  of  subsisting  without  any  nourishment 
fourteen  days  together)  is  to  be  gathered  from  the  former  part  of  the  period,  "  Ex- 
pecting this  day,  the  fourteenth  day,"  that  is,  waiting  to  see  the  success  of  this 
day;  which  it  seems,  in  the  opinion  of  the  mariners,  was  the  critical  day  to  them, 
their  danger  was  then  at  the  highest,  and  they  were  not  likely  to  oat -live  it,  aiid 
so  there  was  no  use  of  eating  :  and  if  they  escaped  this  day,  they  might  then  pos- 
sibly hope  ;  and  upon  these  considerations  they  eat  nothing  that  day  ;  they  had  no 
leisure  to  consider  hunger  when  their  greater  danger,  and  more  urgent  fear  was  of 
drowning. 

*  ^Melita,  now  Malta,  a  celebrated  island  of  the  Mediten-anean  sea,  situated 
between  Sicily  and  the  coast  of  Africa,  in  a  most  advantageous  position,  is  gene, 
rally  believed  to  be  the  scene  of  Paul's  shipwreck.  In  ancient  history,  it  is  considered 
as  the  Hyperia  and  Ogygia  cf  Homer,  in  which  Calypso  received  Ulysses  ;  and 
at  a  subsequent  period  was  possessed  by  the  Carthaginiir.s,  from  whom  it  was  ta- 
ken by  the  Romans.  Its  principal  town  and  harbour  are  remarkable  for  their  great 
strength;  and  the  island,  which  is  180  miles  in  circumference,  though  naturally 


of  the  Hoi II  Bible.  539 

Uicm  in  distress,  treated  them  with  great  humanity,  ma- 
king fires  to  warm  their  wet  and  weary  limbs,  and  shewing 
them  all  the  oilices  of  civility  and  charity. 

W'hilst  they  were  drying  and  warming  themselves,  a 
viper,  driven  from  among  the  wood  by  the  heat  of  tlie 
iire,  leaped  out,  and  fastened  upon  Paul's  hand,  which 
when  the  natives  saw,  they  immediately  concluded  him 
guilty  of  murder,  and  that  divine  vengeance  had  pursued 
him  to  that  place,  to  die  by  the  bite  of  this  venomous 
creature  ;  but  he  shook  it  off  into  the  fire,  and  felt  no 
harm  ;  which  they  observing,  soon  altered  their  opinion, 
and  concluded  he  was  a  god. 

Near  this  place  was  the  residence  of  Publius,  the  go- 
vernor of  the  island,  who  received  and  entertained  this 
shipwrecked  company  with  great  civility  and  hospitalit\^ 
for  three  days;  during  which  lime,  Paul  hearing  that 
the  governor's  father  lay  dangerously  ill  of  a  lever  and  a 
bloody-flux,  he  went  to  his  apartment,  and  praying  by 


barren,  has  been  made  by  human  industry  capable  of  producing  large  quantities  of 
com,  cotton,  fruit,  and  vegetables.  The  Arabs  expelled  the  Romans  from  Malta 
in  828,  and  held  it  till  1190;  when  the  Normans,  from  Sicily,  took  possession, 
and  continued  masters  of  it  till  the  reign  of  the  Emperor  Charles  V. ;  and  by 
him  it  was  given  to  the  Knights  of  Rhodes,  since  better  known  under  the  title  of 
Knights  of  Malta.  While  in  their  possession,  ir  was  considered  as  the  bulwark 
of  Christendom  against  the  Turks ;  and  in  1564  it  sustained  a  memorable  siege, 
and  bade  defiance  to  the  whole  power  of  the  Turkish  empire.  The  fortifications 
are  a  stupendous  monument  of  art  and  e.xpence,  and  are  many  miles  in  extent, 
mostly  bomb  proof,  and  usually  considered,  as  impregnable  ;  yet  it  was  delivered 
up  to  the  French  during  the  late  war,  through  the  treachery  or  incapacity  of  the 
Grand  Master  of  the  Knights,  after  a  sham  attack  of  a  few  hours.  It  was  after- 
wards taken  by  the  English,  owing  to  a  severe  blockade,  and  the  total  failure  of 
provisions,  and  has  ever  since  continued  in  their  possession,  which,  with  their  pow- 
erful fleets,  gives  them  the  supreme  command  of  the  Mediterranean  sea.  Mount 
Etna  at  the  distance  of  200  miles,  is  clearly  discerned  from  Malta,  which  is  con- 
siderably affected  by  its  convulsions  ;  and  it  is  remarkable,  that  no  serpent,  or  other 
venomous  creature,  will  live  on  the  island  ;  a  circumstance  which,  from  whatever 
cause  it  has  arisen,  is  imputed  by  the  superstitious  Maltese  to  the  apostle  Paul* 
All  religions  are  tolerated,  and  the  city  of  Valetta  even  contains  a  Turkish  mosque. 
The  Knights  have  entirely  lost  their  authority;  and  the  population  of  the  island, 
with  that  of  Goza,  depending  upon  and  contiguous  to  it,  is  about  150,000. 


540  A  Complete  Histonj 

him,  laid  his  hands  upon  and  healed  him.  The  vxi- 
moiir  of  this  miraculous  cure  soon  spread  through  the 
island,  and  those  that  were  afflicted  with  any  disease  were 
brought  to  Paul,  and  he  restored  them  to  their  health 
and  stren8:th.  This  increased  Paul's  fame,  insomuch  that 
his  companions  and  fellow-sufferers  were  the  better  lor  it, 
being  for  his  sake  highly  caressed  and  entertained.  And 
when  they  left  Malta,  they  received  many  marks  of  es- 
teem from  the  inhabitants,  w  ho  presented  them  with  every 
necessary  for  their  voyage. 

Having  tarried  at  Malta  three  months,  they  took  ship- 
ping in  a  vessel  of  Alexandria,  that  had  wintered  there, 
calltrd  the  Castor  and  Pollux.  Sailing  from  thence  to 
Syracuse  and  Sicily,  they  tarried  there  three  days,  and 
thence  to  Rheginm  in  Italy,  and  so  in  two  days  to  Pu- 
teoli,  where  they  found  some  Christian  professors,  who 
importuned  them  very  much  to  stay  a  week  with  them  ; 
after  which  they  advanced  towards  Rome  ;  and  being  come 
as  far  as  Appii  Forum  and  the  *Three  Taverns,  the  Chris- 
tians ill  Rome,  hearing  of  Paul's  approach,  went  out  to 
meet  him;  and  when  they  were  come  to  Rome,  Julius 
delivered  the  other  prisoners  to  the  captain  of  the  guard, 
but  permitted  Paul  to  dwell  in  a  private  house,  with  only 
a  soidier  to  guard  him. 

After  Paul  had  been  three  days  at  Rome,  he  desired  to 
speak  with  the  rulers  of  the  Consistory,  which  the  Jews 
had  at  Rome.  To  whom  Paul  addressed  himself  in  this 
manner :  "  Countrymen,  though  I  have  done  nothing 
contrary  to  the  laws  or  customs  of  the  Jews,  yet  was  I  by 
the  Jews  apprehended,  and  accused  before  the  Roman 
procurator  ;  who,  ^vhen  he  had  examined  me,  would  have 
discharged  me,  finding  no  capital  accusation  brought 
against  me.  But  the  Jews  opposing  it,  I  was  obliged  to 
appeal  to  Caesar,  to  get  out  of  their  hands,  and  to  clear 
myself,  not  to  lay  any  thing  to  the  charge  of  any  of  my 


*  Three  Taverns.  This  is  the  proper  name  of  a  town  or  city,  and  not  to  be  ren- 
dei-ed  an  inn  or  victualling-house,  but  (as  all  other  proper  nameis)  to  continue  with- 
out any  alteration.  Tabernse  was  the  name  of  the  frontier  towns,  which  were 
bui^t  against  the  inroads  and  insults  of  the  Barbarians. 


of  the  Ilohj  Bible.  541 

countrymen.  And  this  is  the  cause  of  my  dcsirin<^  to 
speak  with  you  ;  for  I  am  imprisoned,  as  you  see,  lor 
assertin":  the  resurrection  of  the  dead,  which  is  the  result 
of  all  the  promises  of  God  to  the  Jews,  and  that  on  which 
every  true  Israelite  depends."  Then  they  said  to  him, 
*'  We  have  no  letters  from  Judea  that  mention  thee,  nei- 
ther have  the  Christian  Jews  made  any  complaint  aj^ainst 
thee.  But  we  desire  to  hear  thy  opinion  more  at  lart^c ; 
for  as  concerning  this  profession  and  doctrine  of  Christi- 
anitv,  we  know  it  is  geneially  opposed  by  our  brethren 
the  Jews."  Wliereupon,  a  day  was  appointed,  and  there 
came  many  Jews  to  his  lodging,  to  whom  he  preached 
and  explained  the  doctrine  of  the  gospel,  demonstrating 
from  the  law  of  Moses,  and  the  prophecies  that  were  of 
force  among  the  Jews,  the  agrecableness  and  truth  of  the 
whole  Christian  religion.  Upon  the  result  of  the  matter, 
some  believed,  and  others  did  not ;  and  wiien  by  reason 
of  this  difference  some  warm  disputes  arose  between  theni, 
as  they  departed,  Paul  told  them,  "  That  this  unbelief  of 
theirs  was  a  thing  which  the  prophet  Isaiah  had  positively 
foretold,  saying,  '  This  people  will  not  receive  the  gos- 
pel ;  for  they  have  contracted  a  perverse  habit  of  obsti- 
nacy and  wilful  deafness,  that  they  will  not  hearken  to 
any  way  of  reformation  that  shall  be  proposed  to  them.' 
Be  assured  then,  that  we  are  not  obliged  longer  to  con- 
tend with  your  obdurate  temper,  but  we  will  preach  the 
gospel  to  the  heathen,  who  will  gladly  accept  this  of- 
fered mercy."  And  upon  this  they  parted,  the  Jeus 
continuing  obstinate  in  their  opinions  as  they  took 
leave.  And  Paul  continued  free  from  close  confinement, 
living  in  his  hired  house  for  two  whole  years,  preaching 
the  gospel  to  all  who  came  to  him  with  all  freedom  and 
openness,  none  offering  any  molestatioo  or  restraint. 

THUS   EXDS    THE  AcTS   OF  THE  ApOSTLES. 


AN  ABSTRACT 


OF 


THE  TRAVELS  AND  LABOURS 

FROM  HIS  CONFERSION  TO  HIS  DEATH 

AT  ROME, 

IN  THE  YEAR  OF  OUR  LORD  70,  AND  IN  THE  14tH  OF  THE 
REIGN  OF  THE  EMPEROR 

NERO. 


IX. 


1  Aui,,  the  persecutor  and  blasphemer,  Acts  vii.  vni. 
is  converted  on  his  way  to  Damascus 

From  Damascus  he  goes  into  Arabia,  and  preaches  the 
gospel;  from  thence  returning  to  Damascus,  he  is  per- 
secuted, and  escapes  by  means  of  the  brethren,  in  a  bas- 
ket over  the  city  wall,  Acts,  ch.  ix.  Galatians,  ch.  i. 

He  comes  to  Jerusalem  to  visit  Peter,  Acts,  ch.  ix.  2  Cor. 
xii.  Galat.  i.  ..... 

The  Jews  endeavouring  trt  put  him  to  death,  he  is  escor- 
ted by  the  Pvomana  to  Csesarea ;  from  thence  goes  to 
Syria  and  Tarsus,  in  Cilicia,  Acts,  ch.  vii.  Galat.  i. 

He  goes  to  Antioch  with  Barnabas,  where  the  disciples 
were  first  called  Christians,  Acts,  ch.  xi.  v.  26. 

The  famine  predicted  by  Agabus,  Acts,  ch.  xi. 

Saint  James  the  Great,  first  Bishop  of  Jerusalem,  put  to 
death  by  Herod,  grandson  of  Herod  the  Great,  Acts, 
ch.  xii. 

Paulus  EmHius, 'Proconsul  of  Cyprus,  converted  by  St. 
Paul,  Acts,  ch.  xiii.  ..... 

He  preaches  in  Antioch  and  Pisidia,  part  of  Galatia, 
Acts,  ch.  xiv.  .  .... 

Comes  to  Iconlum,  and  remains  there  some  time.  Acts,  ch. 
xiii.  xiv.  .  .  ...... 

He  cures  a  lame  man  at  Lystra,  and  is  soon  after  stoned, 
Acts,  xvi.  .  .  ...... 

Having  ordained  elders  in  all  the  churches,  and  visited 
Pisidia  and  Pamphylia,  he  returns  to  Antioch 


s 

06 

2I 

"  a. 

til  > 

V.D. 

>-u 

V 

S  w 

8S 

^'-B 

!XE 

t< 

0 

B. 

04 

35 

1 

Tiberius  20 

36 

2 

21 

22 


38 
39 

4 
5 

23 
Caligula  1 

40 

6 

0 

42 
44 

8 
10 

Claudius  2 
2 

45 

11 

n 
0 

46 

12 

4 

4r 

13 

5 

48 

U 

6 

49 

15 

7 

50 

16 

8 

The  Travels  and  Labours  of  St.  PauL 


£  o  •-  y 

«  5:  ■*-  s 

A.D.  Co  ^y 

tU  I-  _ 

^^  >\ 

At  this  time  the  apostles  held  a  council  at  Jerusalem, 
wherein  St.  Paul  assisted  ;  and  having  returned  to  Anti- 
och,  he  there  resisted  St.  Peter  to  the  face,  Acts,  xv. 
Galatians,  ch.  li.  .  .  .  .  .     52     18     Claudius  10 

St.  Paul  goes  with  Silas  into  Syna  and  Cilicia,  to  strength- 
en the  churches;  afterward  to  Derbe  and  Lystra  with 
Timothy,  tlicnce  to  Macedonia,  and  established  the 
church  of  Philippi,  Acts,  ch.  xv.  xvi.  .  .     54     20  12 

He  prciches  at  Athens,  and  goes  from  thence  toThessa- 

lonica,  Acts,  ch.  xvii.  .  .  .     55     21  13 

He  preaches  at  Corinth  eighteen  months,  and  from  thence 

writes  to  the  Romans,  Acts,  ch.  xviii.  .  .     56     22  14 

He  goes  to  Ephesus  ;  from  thence  to  Cxsarea,  afterward 

to  Jerusalem,  and  thence  to  Antioch  .  .  .     57     23       Nero        I 

Hevisits  the  churches  in  Asia  and  Phrygia,  Acts,  ch.  xviii.     58     24  2 

St.  Paul  goes  to  Ephesus,  where  he  remained  two  years, 
and  leaves  Timothy  first  bishop  of  the  church  of  Ephe- 
sus, Acts,  ch.  xix.   1  Tim.  ch.  i.  .  .  .     59     25  3 

He  writes  his  first  epistle  to  the  Corinthians  from  Ephe- 
sus, 1  Cor.  ch.  xvi.  .  .  ...     60     26  4 

After  the  tumult  made  at  Ephesus  was  appeased,  he  goes 
to  Troas,  and  from  thence  to  Macedonia,  where  being 
at  Philippi,  he  writes  his  second  epistle  to  the  Corinthi- 
ans by  St.  Luke  and  Titus,  Acts,  ch.  xx.  and  2  Cor.  ch. 
ii.  and.\.iii.  In  this  city  he  was  scourged  and  put  into 
the  stocks.  .  .  .  .  .     61     27  5 

From  Philippi  he  goes  into  Greece,  1  Cor.  ch.  xvi.  and  2 
Cor.  ch.  xii.  And  because  of  the  snares  laid  for  him, 
returns  by  Macedonia  to  Troas,  and  meets  there  Aristar- 
chus  andTimothy,  Acts,  ch.xx.  .  .  .     62     28  6 

At  Troas  St.  Paul  restores  a  dead  person  to  life.  He  goes 
to  Assosand  Mytelene,  toSamos,  Trogyllium,  and  Mi- 
letus. At  Ephesus  he  bids  the  church  a  final  adieu,  and 
sails  to  Rhodes,  Patara,  Tyrus,  Ptolemais,  and  thence 
to  Cxsarea,  from  whence  proceeding  to  Jerusalem,  he  is 
there  apprehended  on  a  false  charge  of  sedition.  Acts, 
ch.xxi.  and  xxii.  .  .  .  .     63     29  7 

Brought  as  a  prisoner  to  Csesarea  he  pleads  before  Felix,  re- 
mains two  years  in  prison,  and  appeals  to  Csesar  at 
Rome,  Acts,  ch.  xxiii.  and  xxiv.         ....     65     31  9' 

St.  Paul  Is  sent  a  prisoner  to  Rome  by  sea,  accompanied 
by  the  holy  evangelist  Luke,  and  is  shipwrecked  on  the 
islandcf  Malta,  Acts,  ch.  xxvii.  .  .  .     66    32  11 

While  in  chains  at  Rome  he  writes  his  epistles  to  the 

churches  of  Galatia,  Ephesus,  and  Philippi         .         .     67     33  12 

He  writes  the  epistle  to  the  Colossians,  and  to  Philemon     68    34  13 

He  writes  his  second  epistle  to  Timothy  a  little  before  his 

death  ■  .  .  .  .  .     69     35 

He  is  brought  before  the  tyrant  Nero  the  second  time,  and 
being  a  Roman  citizen,  is  condemned  to  lose  his  head 
forpreaching  the  gospel  .  .  .     70    36  14 


544 


ST.    PAUL. 


It  Is  generally  believed,  that  St.  Paul  obtained  a  deliverance 
from  his  first  imprisonment  at  Rome,  and,  after  a  short  time, 
to  have  been  carried  there  again.  Particularly  commissioned  by 
his  Divine  Master  to  preach  the  gospel  to  the  Gentile  world,  he 
became  eminently  useful,  and  in  labours  more  abundant  than  all 
the  other  apostles.  As  an  orator  he  shines  to  great  advantage  ; 
and  even  Longinus  himself  speaks  of  him  in  terms  of  approba- 
tion. I'hough  the  most  humble,  as  well  as  most  useful  of  man- 
kind, none  but  his  own  inimitable  pen  has  done  justice  to  his  tru- 
ly great  and  exalted  character,  in  the  eleventh  chapttu:  of  his  se- 
cond epistle  to  the  Corinthians.  In  the  city  of  Tarsus,  where  he 
was  born,  be  had  every  advantage  which  a  polite  and  learned  edur 
cation  could  bestow  upon  him,  and  finished  his  studies  at  the  feet 
of  Gamaliel,  in  Jerusalem.  Ecclesiastical  writers  have  said,  that 
during  his  second  imprisonment,  he  converted  Poppea  Sabina, 
the  concubine  of  Nero.  Certain  it  is,  that  he  was  beheaded  by 
order  of  that  tyrant,  toward  the  close  of  his  reign,  who  soon  af- 
ter fell  a  just  sacrifice  to  the  injured  people  of  Rome. 


APPENDIX. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH, 

FROM  THE  CONCLUSION  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  « THE  ACTS,'  TO 
.THE  CLOSE  OF  THE  FIRST  CENTURY. 

( Abridged  from  Mr.  Milner*s  History  of  the  Churchy  Vol.  I.J 

\i:  seems  plain,  that  the  apostles  in  general  did  not  leave  Judea, 
till  after  the  first  council  held  at  Jerusalem.  Thev  seem  never 
to  have  been  in  haste  to  quit  the  land  of  their  nativity.  Proba- 
bly the  threatening  appearances  of  its  desolation  by  the  Romans, 
hastened  their  departure  into  distant  regions.  And  before  the 
close  of  this  century  it  appears,  that  the  power  of  the  gospel  was 
felt  throughout  the  Roman  empire. 

It  was  about  the  year  of  our  Lord  64,  that  the  city  of  Rome 
sustained  a  general  conflagration.  The  emperor  Nero,  lost  as 
he  was  to  all  sense  of  reputation,  was  yet  studious  to  avert  the 
infamy  of  being  reckoned  the  author  of  this  calamitv,  which  was 
generally  iinputed  to  him.  But  no  ste[5s  that  he  could  take  were 
sufficient  to  clear  him.  There  was,  however,  a  particular  set  of 
people,  so  singularly  distinct  from  the  rest  of  mankind,  and  so 
much  hated  on  account  of  the  condemnation  which  their  doc- 
trine and  purity  of  life  affixed  to  all  except  themselves,  that  they 
might  be  calumniated  with  impunity.  These  were  then  known 
at  Rome  by  the  name  of  Christians.  Unless  we  transplant  our- 
selves into  those  times,  we  can  scarce  conceive  how  odious  and 
contemptible  the  appellation  then  was.  The  judicious  Tacitus 
calls  their  religion  "•  a  detestable  superstition,'^"  which  at  first  was 
suppressed,  and  afterwards  broke  out  afresh,  and  spread  not  on- 
ly through  judea,  the  origin  of  the  evil,  but  through  the  me- 
tropolis also,  the  common  sewer  in  which  every  thing  filthy  and 
flagitious  meets  and  spreads."  If  so  grave  and  cautious  a  writer 
as  I'acilus,  can  thus  asperse  the  Christians  without  proof  and 
without  moderation,  we  need  not  wonder,  that  so  impure  a 
wretch  as  Nero  should  not  hesitate  to  charge  them  with  the  crime 
of  burning  Rome. 

Now  it  was  that  the  Romans  legally  persecuted  the  church  for 
the  first  time.  Their  execution  was  aggravated  with  insult.  Thev 
were  covered  with  skins  of  wild  beasts,  and  lorn  by  dogs  ;  were 
crucified,  and  set  on  fire,  that  thev  might  serve  for  lights  in  the 
righi-Liine.      Nero  offered   his  gardens  for  this   spectacle,    and 


»  Taciiii>,  b.  15. 

Vol.  II.  o  Z 


il  APPENDIX. 

exhibited  the  games  of  the  circus.  People  could  not,  however, 
avoid  pitying  them,  because  they  suffered  not  for  the  public 
good,  but  to  gratify  the  cruelty  of  a  tyrant. 

Three  or  four  years  were  probably  the  utmost  extent  of  this 
tremendous  persecution,  as  soon  after  the  tyrant  was  himself, 
by  a  dreadful  exit,  summoned  before  the  Divine  Tribunal.  He 
left  the  Roman  world  in  a  state  of  extreme  confusion.  Judea 
partook  of  it  in  an  eminent  manner.  About  forty  years  after 
our  Lord's  sufferings,  wrath  came  on  the  body  of  the  Jewish  na- 
tion to  the  uttermost,  in  a  manner  too  well  known  to  need  the 
least  account  in  this  history.  What  became  of  the  Christian 
Jews,  alone  concerns  us.  The  congregation  were  commanded, 
by  an  oracle  revealed  to  the  best  approved  among  them,  that 
before  the  wars  began,  thev  should  depart  from  the  city,  and 
inhabit  a  village  bevond  Jordan,  called  Pella.  Thither  they  re- 
tired, and  were  saved  from  the  destruction  which  soon  after  over- 
whelmed sheir  countrymen,  at  once  observing  the  precept,  and 
fulfilling  the  well-known  prophecy  of  their  Saviour.  The  death 
of  Nero,  and  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  would  naturally  oc- 
casion some  respite  to  them  from  their  sufferings  ;  and  we  hear 
no  more  of  their  persecuted  state,  till  the  reign  of  Domitian, 
the  last  of  the  Flavian  family,  who  succeeded  to  the  empire  in 
the  year  81. 

In  the  year  of  96  Domitian  was  slain,  and  Nerva,  the  succeed- 
ing emperor,  published  a  pardon  for  those  who  were  condemned 
lor  impitty,  recalled  those  who  were  banished,  and  forbad  the 
accusing  of  any  men  on  account  of  impiety,  or  Judaism.  Others 
who  were  under  accusation,  or  under  sentence  of  condemnation, 
now  escaped  by  the  lenity  of  Nerva. 

I'he  apostles  and  evangelists  of  this  period,  were  their  storv 
distinctly  known,  would  afford  materials  indeed  of  the  rarest 
pleasure  to  every  Christian  mind.  But  there  never  arose  in  the 
church  any  historians  like  Thucydides  and  Livy,  to  illustrate  the 
actions  of  saints.  Heroes  and  statesmen  have  their  reward  here, 
saints  hereafter.  Christ's  kingdom  must  not  appear  to  be  of 
this  world,  and  while  large  volumes  have  been  filled  with  the 
exploits  of  heroes,  and  the  intrigues  of  statesmen,  those  men 
who  were  the  divine  instruments  of  evangelizing  souls,  the  New 
Testament  history  excepted,  are  for  the  most  part  unknown. 
What  I  can  collect  the  reader  shall  see  ;  though  he  will  find  it  is 
but  little. 

The  first  of  the  twelve  apostles  who  suffered  martyrdom,  we 
have  seen,  was  James  the  son  of  Zebedee,  who  fell  a  sacrifice  to 
Herod  Agrippa's  ambitious  desire  of  popularity. 

The  otiier  James  was  preserved  in  Judea  to  a  much  later  pe- 
riod. His  martyrdom  took  place  about  the  year  62, -and  his 
epistle  was  published  a  little   before  his  death.     As  he  always 


APPENDIX.  lU 

resided  at  Jerusalem,  and  was  providentially  preserved  through 
various  persecutions,  he  had  an  opportunity  of  overcoming  en- 
mity itself,  and  abating  prejudice,  in  some  measure.      The  name 
of  Just  w^as  generall)  given  him  on  account  of  his  singular  inno- 
cence  and  integrity.      And   as  he  conlormed  to  Jewish  customs 
with  more  than  occasional   regularity,  he  was  by  no  means  so 
odious  in  the  eyes  of  his  countrymen,  as  the  apostle  of  the  Cien- 
tiles.     But  could  he  have  fully  overcome  their  enmity,  he  could 
not  have  been  faithful  to  Christ.     Many  Jews  respected  the  man, 
and  admired  the  fruits  of  the  gospel  in  him.    The  root  and  prin- 
ciple was  still  their  abhorrence,  and  from  the  account  of  Euse- 
bius,  the  testimony  of  Hegesippus,  an  early  Christian  historian, 
whom  he  quotes,  and  of  Josephus,  it  is  plain,  that  it  was  thought 
a  pitiable  thing,  that  so  good  a  man  should  be  a  Christian.  Paul's 
escape  from  Jewish  malice,  by  appealing  to  Caesar,  had  sharpened 
the  spirits  of  this  people,  and  they  were  determined  to  wreak 
their  vengeance  on  James,  who  was  merely  a  Jew,  and  could 
plead  no  Roman  exemptions.     Festus  dving  president  of  Judea, 
before  his  successor  Albinus  arrived,  Ananias  the  high-priest,  a 
sadducee,  and  a  merciless  persecutor,  held  the  supreme  power  in 
the  interim,  and  called  a  council,  before  which  he  brought  James 
with  some  others,  accusing  them  of  breaking  the  law  of  Moses. 
But  it  was  not  easy  to  procure  his  condemnation.     His  holy  life 
had  long  obtained  the  veneration  of  his  countrymen. 

The  great  men  were  uneasy  on  account  of  the  vast  increase  of 
Christian  converts  by  his  means,  and  endeavoured  to  entangle 
him,  by  persuading  hira  to  mount  a  pinnacle  of  the  temple,  and 
to  speak  to  the  people  assembled  at  the  time  of  the  passover, 
against  Christianity.  James  being  placed  aloft,  delivered  a 
iVank  confession  of  Jesus  as  then  sitting  at  the  right  hand  of 
power,  and  who  should  come  in  the  clouds  of  heaven.  Upon 
this  Ananias  and  the  rulers  were  highly  incensed.  To  disgrace 
his  character  was  their  first  intention.  This  had  failed.  To 
murder  his  person  was  the  next,  and  the  attempt  was  of  very 
speedy  execution.  Crying  out,  that  Justus  himself  was  seduced, 
they  threw  him  down,  and  stoned  him.  The  apostle  had  strength, 
to  fall  on  his  knees,  and  to  pray,  "  I  beseech  thee,  Lord  God 
and  Father,  for  them;  for  they  know  not  what  they  do."  One 
of  the  priests  moved  with  the  scene,  cried  out,  "  Cease,  what 
do  you  mean?  this  just  man  is  praying  for  you."  A  person 
present,  with  a  fuller's  club,  beat  out  his  brains,  and  complete^ 
his  martvrdom. 

Very  remarkable  is  the  acknowledgment  of  Josephus.  "  These 
things"  (meaning  the  miseries  of  the  Jews  from  the  Romans) 
happened  to  them  by  way  of  avenging  the  death  of  James  the 
Just,  the  brother  of  Jesus,  whom  they  call  Christ.    For  the  Jews 


IV  APPENDIX. 

slew  him,  though  a  very  just  man."  And  from  the  same  writer 
we  learn,  that  Albinus  severely  reprimanded  Ananias,  and  soo« 
after  deprived  him  of  the  hrgh-priesthood. 

After  the  death  of  James,  and  the  desolation  of  Jerusalem, 
the  apostles  and  disciples  of  our  Lord,  of  wiiom  many  were  yet 
alive,  gathered  themselves  together  with  our  Lord's  kinsmen,  to 
appoint  a  pastor  of  the  church  of  Jerusalem  in  the  room  of 
James.  The  election  fell  on  Simeon,  the  son  of  that  Cltophas 
mentioned  by  St.  Luke,  as  one  of  the  two  who  went  to  Emmaus, 
and  who  was  the  brother  of  Joseph,  our  Lord's  reputed  father. 
We  shall  leave  Simeon,  the  chief  pastor  of  the  Jewish  church, 
at  the  end  of  this  century. 

Paul  the  apostle  seems  to  have  laboured  Avith  unwearied  ac- 
tivity, from  about  the  year  36  to  the  year  63,  that  is,  from  his 
conversion  to  the  period  in  which  St.  Luke  finishes  his  history. 
VViihin  this  period  he  wrote  fourteen  epistles,  which  will  be  the 
blessed  means  of  feeding  the  souls  of  the  faithful  to  the  end  of 
time.  The  second  epistle  to  Timothy  has  been  commonly  sup'^ 
posed  to  have  been  written  just  before  his  martyrdom.  From 
this  epistle  it  is  evident,  that  he  had  already  been  called  before 
Nero,  agreeably  to  the  prediction,  "  thou  must  be  brought  be- 
fore Caesar ;"  and  that  no  Christian  durst  appear  for  hiiti  ;  he 
feelingly  complains,  "  all  men  forsook  me."  Yet  he  knew  how 
to  distinguish  between  malevolence  and  timidity  ;  and  therefore^ 
though  he  could  not  excuse  their  neglect  of  him,  he  prays  God 
that  it  might  not  be  laid  to  their  charge.  But  the  grace  of  the 
IjOrd  Jesus,  which  hud  hitherto  been  so  eminently  with  the 
apostle,  forsook  him  not  in  his  trying  moments.  The  Lord 
*'  stood  with,  and  strengthened  him."  Jie  was  enabled  to  tes- 
tify for  Christ  and  his  gospel  before  Nero,  with  the  same  frank- 
ness, fortitude,  and  elocjuence,  that  he  had  done  before  Felix, 
I'estus,  and  Agrippa.  And  for  the  first  time,  and  probably  iht^ 
last,  the  murderous  tyrant  Nero  heard  the  glad  tidings  of  salva- 
tion. It  seems,  by  the  expression,  "  that  all  the  Gentiles  might 
hear,"  that  Paul  was  heard  in  a  very  full  and  solemn  assembly, 
and  had  un  opportunity  of  giving  a  clear  account  of  Christianity. 
And  as  some  of  C:esar's  household  are  mentioned  as  saints  in  the 
cpisde  to  the  Philippians,  there  is  reason  to  apprehend  that  the 
preaching  was  not  in  vain.  Ke  was,  as  he  owns,  "  delivered 
irom  the  mouth  of  the  lion."  Paul  seems  to  have  had  this  audi- 
ence during  che  former  part  of  his  imprisonment  at  Rome,  ancl 
to  have  been  remanded  to  his  confinement  for  the  present. 

Here  he  wrote  the  epistles  to  the  Philippians  and  Colossians 
before  the  end  of  the  year  62.  From  the  fornner  of  these  it  ap- 
pears, that  the  whole  court  of  Nero  was  made  acquainted  with 
his  c;\bc,  and  that  the  cause  of  the  gospel  was  promoted  by  this 


l| 


Al'PKNDlZ.  \ 

menns.  In  the  episile  to  PhiKinon,  he  expresses  a  confidence  of 
bi  ing  soon  set  ai  hbertv,  and  promises,  in  that  case,  shortly  to 
pa\'  them  a  visit. 

Having  obtained  his  liberty  in  the  year  63,  he  most  probably 
vould  soon  fulfil  his  promise  to  visit  the  Hebrews  ;  after  vhich 
he  might  see  his  Colossian  friends.  'I'hat  he  ever  visited  bpain 
or  Britain,  is,  to  say  no  more,  extremely  doubtful.  And  if  he 
once  more  made  an  Asiatic  tour,  there  seems  not  time  enough 
for  his  accomplishing  the  >vestern  journey,  as  he  suflcred  martyr- 
dom on  his  return  to  Rome  in  64- or  65.  He  could  have  had  no 
great  pleasure  at  Jerusalem  ;  eveiy  thing  was  there  hastening  to 
ruin.  No  man  was  ever  possessed  ol  a  more  genuine  patriotic 
spirit  than  this  aposile.  'J'he  Jewish  war,  which  commenced  in 
G6,  would  have  much  afflicted  him,  had  he  lived  to  see  it.  But 
returning  to  Home  about  a  year  before,  he  fell  in  with  the  very 
time  when  Rome  was  burnt,  and  Christians  were  accused  as  in- 
cendiaries. He  now  found  no  mercy  in  Nero,  who  would  natu- 
rally be  displeased  at  the  effect,  which  he  had  obser%'ed  his 
preaching  had  produced  in  his  own  fai\iily.  A  cup-bearer  and  a 
concubine  of  his  had  been,  through  Paul's  means,  converted  to 
the  faith,  as  Chrysostom  assures  us  ;  and  this  hastened  his  death. 
He  was  slain  with  the  sword  by  Nero's  order.* 

Of  St.  Peter  we  have  by  no  means  so  large  an  account  as  of 
St.  Paul.  The  last  view  we  have  of  him  in  scripture  presents  him 
to  us  at  Antioch.  This  was  probably  about  the  year  50.  After 
this  he  was  employed  in  spreading  the  gospel  principally  among 
his  own  countrymen,  but  one  cannot  suppose  exclusively  of  Gen- 
tiles, in  Pontus,  Galatia,  Cappadocia,  Asia,  and  Bithvnia.  His 
two  epistles  were  directed  to  the  Hebrew  converts  of  these  coun- 
tries. And  if  he  was  far  less  successful  than  Paul  among  die 
C^entiles,  he  was  much  more  so  than  he  among  the  Jews.  He 
who  wrought  effectually  in  the  one  among  the  former,  was  migh- 
tv  in  the  other  among  the  latter.f  It  should  ever  be  remember- 
td.  Mho  alone  did  the  work,  and  gave  the  increase. 

Peter  probably  came  to  Rome  about  the  year  63.  Thence  a 
little  before  his  martyrdom  he  wrote  his  two  episdcs. 

Of  the  labours  of  nine  apostles,  nothing  in  a  mani:er  is  record- 


*  Order.  Some  historians  affirm,  that  he  was  beheaded  on  the  sam$  day  in 
\uhich  Peter  was  crucified,  m  the  beginning  of  the  year  66,  when  he  was  upwards 
of  70  years  of  age,  at  Aquae  Salerse,  three  miles  from  Rome,  and  was  buried  in 
the  Via  Ostensis,  on  a  spot  whereon  Constantine  the  Great  erected  a  magnificent 
vhurch  to  his  memory. 

I  Gal.ii.8. 


VI  APPENDIX. 

ed,  James,  Andrew,  Philip,  Bartholomew,  Thomas,  Matihew, 
Jude,  Simon,  and  Matthias. 

Of  John  the  apostle  a  few  valuable  fragments  may  be  collected. 
He  was  present  at  the  council  of  Jerusalem,  which  was  held  about 
the   year  50,  «or  is  it  probable,  that  he  left  Judea  till  that  time. 
Asia  Minor  was  the  great  theatre  of  his  niinistry,  particularly 
Ephesus,  the  care  of  which  church  remained  with  him  after  the 
decease  of  the  rest  of  the  apostles.     The  breaking  out  of  the  war 
in  Judea  would  probably  oblige  the  apostle  to  bid  a  total  farewell 
to  his  native  country.     While  he  resided  at  Ephesus,  going  once 
"to  bathe  there,  and  perceiving  that  Cerinthus  was  in  the  bath,  he 
came  out  again  hastily.     Let  us  flee,  says  he,  lest  the  bath  should 
fall,  while  Cerinthus,  an  enem;/  of  truth,  is  within.     TertuUian 
tells  us,  that  by  order  of.Domiiian,  John  was  cast  into  a  caldron 
of  boiling  oil,  and  came  out  again  without  being  hurt.     The  mi- 
racle softened  not  the  heart  of  Domitian,   who  would  probably 
suppose  the  apostle  to  have  been  fortified  by  some  magical  incan- 
tations.   He  banished  him  into  the  solitary  isle  of  Patmos,  where 
he  was  favoured  with  the  visions  of  the  Apocalypse.     After  Do- 
mitian's  death  he  returned  from  Patmos,   and  governed  the  Asi- 
atic churches.     There  he  remained  till  the  time  of  Trajan.     At 
the  request  of  the  bishops,  he  went  to  the  neighbouring  churches, 
partly  to  ordain  pastors,  and  partly  to  regulate  the  congregations. 
At  one  place  in  his  tour,  observing  a  remarkably  handsome  young 
person,  he  warmly  recommended  him  to  the  care  of  a  particular 
pastor.     The  young  man  was  baptized,  and  for  a  time  lived  as  a 
Christian.     But  being  gradually  corrupted  by  bad  company,  he 
became  idle,  intemperate,  and  at  length  so  dishonest,  as  to  become 
captain  of  a  band  of  robbers.     Some  time  after,  John  had  occa- 
sion to  inquire  of  the  pastor  concerning  the  yotmg  man,  who  told 
him,  that  he  was  now  dead  to  God,  and  inhabited  a  mountain  over 
ngainst  his  church.     John,  in  the  vehemence  of  his  charity,  went 
to  the  place,  and  exposed   himself  to   be   taken  by  the  robbers. 
"  Bring  me,"  says  he,  "  to  your  captain,"  who  beheld  him  coming. 
As  soon  as  he  knew  the  apostle,  he  was  struck  with  shame  and 
fled.  The  aged  apostle,  following  him,  cried,  "  My  son,  why  fly- 
tst  thou  from  thy  father,  unarmed  and  old  ?  Fear  not,    as  yet 
there  remaineth  hope  of  salvation.     Believe  me,  Christ  hath  sent 
ixie."  Hearing  this,  the  your.g  man  stood  still;  trembled,  and  wept 
bitterly.     John  prayed*  exhorted,  and   brought  him  back  to  the 
society  of  Christians,  nor  did  he  leave  him,  till  he  found  him 
fully  restored  by  divine  grace. 

We  have  yet  another  story  of  St.  John.  Being  now  very  old, 
and  unable  to  say  much  in  Christian  assemblies)  "  Children, 
love  one  another,"  was  his  constantly -repeated  sermon.  Being 
asked  why  he  told  them  only  one  thing,  he  answered,  that  no- 
thing else  was  needed. 


APPENDIX.  VII 

John  lived  three  or  four  years  after  his  return  to  Asia,  having 
been  preserved  to  the  age  of  an  hundred  years  for  the  benefit  of 
the  church  of  Christ,  a  pattern  of  charity  and  goodness,  greater 
than  I  know  how  to  clcscril^e. 

Of  the  apostle  13arnal)-i8  nothing  is  known,  except  what  is  re- 
corded in  the  Acts.  There  we  have  an  honourable  encomium 
of  his  character,  and  a  particular  description  of  his  joint  labours 
with  St.  Paul. 

Thus  have  we  seen  the  most  astonishing  revolution  in  the 
human  mind,  and  in  human  manners,  that  was  ever  known  in 
any  age,  eflected  without  any  human  power  legal  or  illegal,  and 
even  against  the  .united  opposition  of  all  the  powers  then  in  the 
world  ;  and  this  too  not  in  countries  rude  or  uncivilized,  but  in 
the  most  humanized,  the  most  learned,  and  the  most  polished 
part  of  the  globe,  within  the  Roman  empire  ;  no  part  of  which 
was  exempted  from  a  sensible  share  in  its  effects.  This  empire, 
within  the  first  century  at  least,  seems  to  have  been  the  proper 
limit  of  Christian  conquests. 


ADDENDA. 

The  Christian  reader  will  probably  wish  to  know  when,  and 
by  what  means,  the  gospel  was  introduced  into  Britain.  Of  this 
various  accounts  have  been  given,  but  the  follov/iug  seems  en- 
titled to  the  best  regard  of  any  v.'e  have  seen. 

The  most  calamitous  events  are  often,  through  the  wise 
direction  of  a  superintending  Providence,  productive  of  the  most 
important  and  happy  consequences.  Caractacus,  King  of  the 
Britons,  was,  through  the  treachery  of  Cartismandua,  Queen, 
of  the  Brigantes,  betrayed  into  the  hands  of  his  enemies,  and 
carried  captive  to  Rome.  His  father.  Bran  (or  Brrnus,)  'his 
wife,  children,  and  brothers,  shared  in  this  calamity,  and  re- 
mained prisoners  there  for  seven  years,  while  the  great  aposde 
of  the  Cientiles  was  successfully  planting  the  standard  of  the 
gospel  in  the  capital  of  the  world.  An  opportunity  thus  af- 
lorded  to  those  iUustrious  Britons,  of  attending  the  first  preachers 
of  Christianity,  Branus,  and  others  of  his  family,  were  converted 
to  the  faith,  and  on  their  return  introduced  the  gospel  into  Wales. 
On  this  account,  Bran  (or  Branus)  is  called,  in  the  venerable  and 
uncorrupted  chronicles  of  Wales,  one  of  the  three  blessed  sove- 
reigns of  Britain.  Cyllin,  or  St.  Cyllin,  son  of  Caractacus,  and 
Kigen  his  daughter,  were  also  among  the  first  to  establish  Chris- 
tianity among  their  unenlightened  countrymen.  The  latter  is  ac- 
counted the  first  ftyr.ale  saint  in  Britain.  On  their  return  from 
Rome,  they  brought  with  them,  A.  D.  JO,  Hid  a  Jewish  Chris- 
tian, and  CynJay,  another  convert,  to  assist  in  preaching  the 
gospel. 


VIII  APPENDIX. 

Towards  the  close  of  the  second  century,  Lleirwg,  the  son  of 
Coel  ab  Cyllin  Sant,  called  Lleuver  Mawr,  and  Lies,  or  Lucius, 
prince  of  the  Silures,  formed  the  laudable  design  of  diffusing 
the  knowledge  of  the  Christian  faith  generally  over  his  domi- 
nions. In  order  to  further  the  grand  design,  he  sent  over  to  Rome 
for  the  assistance  of  some  able  teachers  ;  whereupon  Eleutherius 
sent  Dyvan,  Fagan,  Medwy,  and  Elvan  for  that  purpose.  The 
first  Christian  church  was  built  by  Lleirwg,  at  Llanduy,  "■  under 
national  protection,  right,  and  privilege."  On  this  account, 
Lleirwg  was  ranked  with  Bran  and  Cadwaledr,  under  the  ap- 
pellation of  the  three  blessed  princes  of  the  isle  of  Britain. 

The  place  where  Elvan  taught  was  Yans  y  Vallon,  or  the 
present  Glastonbury.  Fagan  has  a  church  dedicated  to  him  in 
Glamorganshire.  The  following  wise  saying  of  Fagan  is  still 
preserved,  "  Lie  taw  Duw  nid  doeth  yngan  ;"  "  Where  God  h 
silent,  it  is  not  wise  to  speak."  Dyvan  was  great-grandson  of 
Manawydan,  son  of  Bran.  Of  Medwy  we  have  no  further  parti- 
culars, but  that  he  came  over  with  the  other  three  from  Kome»* 


*  This  account  is  found  in  authentic  documents  still  extant  in  the  ancient 
British  language,  called,  "  Trioedd  Ynys  Pryjain,"  the  Welsh  Triads ;  and 
"  Bonedd  y  Sant,"  the  Genealogy  of  the  British  Saints.  It  adds  to  the  authen- 
ticity of  thes«  ancient  records,  that  they  were  composed  before  the  introduction 
of  popery  among  the  Welsh.  See  the  above  names  in  the  Cambrian  Biography, 
by  Mr.  W.  Owen,  F.  A.  S.  Evan.  Mag.  November  1806,  p.  506,  507.  See 
also  Tertullian  contra  Judaeos,  Venerable  Bede,  Gildas  the  Briton,  and  Fo.x  in 
his  Martyrology,  who  all  agree,  that  the  gospel  was  planted  in  Britain  at  a  very 
early  period,  and,  most  probabl) ,  during  the  first  cciUury. 


FIJVIS, 


THE 


INDEX. 


Aaron  bom,  v.  i.  fO-.-sent  to  meet 
Moses,  183. ...makes  the  golden  calf, 
220. ...is  consecrated  to  God,  235.... 
dies  in  Mount  Hor,  aged  123  years, 
258. 

Abel  killed  by  Cain,  23. 

Abraham  born,  39. ...leaves  his  country, 
41. ...defeats  the  kings,  44..;. .meets 
Melchizedeck,  45. ...marries  Hagar, 
48. ...his  name  changed,  49. ...marries 
Ketiirah,  71-. ..dies,  aged  175. 

Abimelech,  king  of  Gerar,  58.. ..his 
league  wiih  Abraham,  61. 

Abimelech  made  king,  344.. ..kills  his  se- 
venty brethren,  346.. ..destroys  She- 
chem,  and  sows  it  with  sail,  347.... 
takes  Thebez,  and  is  there  killed,  348. 

Abdon  judges  Israel  eight  years,  355. 

Abner,  Saul's  general,  403,  419. ...goes 
over  to  David,  430. 

Abiathar  escapes  from  the  slaughter  of 
the  priests  at  Nob,  413. 

Abigail,  David's  wife,  418. 

Absalom,  his  revenge,  445.. ..steals  the 
Israelites' hearts,  447.-.jebels  against 
his  father,  449....is  slain,  454. 

Abiam,  king  of  Judah,  490. 

Achan,  his  trespass,  292....stoi\ed  and 
burnt  with  his  family,  294. 

Achish,  king  of  Gath,  411. 

Adam  created,  16. ...his  fall,  19.. ..ex- 
pelled Paradise,  21. 

Adonijah,  464. 

Adonizedek  and  four  kings  defeated 
and  hanged,  300. 

Adramelech  and  Anamelech,  account 
of,  561. 

Agag,  king  of  Amalek,  397. 

Ahab,  his  wickedness,  494. ...slain  at 
Ramoth  Gilead,  505. 


Ahaziah,  king  of  Israel,  507, 
Ahaziah,  king  of  Judah,  528. 
Ahaz,  king  of  Judah,  551. 
Ahasuerus,  his  history,  v.  ii.  52. 
Ahithophel,  v.  i.  448. 
Ahimeleck  slain  by  Saul,  412. 
Ahimaaz,  454. 

Ahijah,  Rehoboam's  son,  488. 
Ahikam,  king  of  Judah,  v.  ii.  12. 
Ai  taken,  v.  i.  296. 
Alcimus,  High-Priest,  v.  ii.  113. 
Alexander  the  Great,  89. 
Alexander,  king  of  Syria,  119. 
Alexander  Jannseus,  130. 
Alexandra,  his  queen,  132. 
Amalekites,  account  of,  v.  i.  215.. ..they 

fight  with  Israel,  216.. ..defeated  by 

Gideon,  340. 
Amaziah,  kingof  Judah,  537. 
Amnion,  David's  son,  443. 
Ammonites,  350. ...defeated  by  Jepthah, 

351. ...and  David,  439. 
Amon,  king  of  Judah,  v.  ii.  4. 
Anna,  the  wife  of  Tobit,  v.  i.  556. 
Annanias  and  Saphira,  v.  ii.  456. 
Andronicus,  95. 
Antiochus  Eupator,  113. 
Antioch,  capital  of  Syria,  121,  and  141. 
Antiochus  Soter,  122. 
Antigonus,  king  of  Judea,  129.. ..is  be- 
headed at  Rome,  153. 
Antiochus  the  Great,   92 persecutes 

the  Jews. ...and  defiles  the  temple,  95, 

96. 
Antiochus  Epiphanes,  93. 
Antipater,  father  of  Herod,  135. 
Antipater,  son  of  Herod,  136. 
Apelles,  Antiochus'  general,  105. 
Apollonius,  95. 
Aphek,  Saul  defeated  and  killed  there, 

v.i.  425. 


INDEX. 


Apostles,  the  twelve  called,  v.  ii.  276. 

Aposiles  apprehended,  468. 

Arabians,  v  i.  501. 

Araunah,  463. 

Arioch,  V.  ii.  ."6. 

Aristobulus  takes  the  title  of  king,  128. 

AristobuhisII.  1.33. 

Ark  of  the  covenant,  v.  i.  229. ...carried 
before  Israel,  240... .taken  by  the  Phi- 
listines, 270.... brought  to  Jerusalem, 
434. 

Arsaces.kingof  PaVthia,  <!.  ii.  127. 

Asahel  killed  by  Abner,  v.  i.  429. 

Asa,  kingof  Judah,  490. 

Ascension  of  Clirist,  v.  ii.  439. 

Ashima,  v.  i.  561. 

Ashdod,  V.  ii.84. 

Astyages,  49. 

Athalia,  qneen  slain,  v.  i.  530,531. 

Augustus  Cxsar  taxes  the  Roman  em- 
pire, v.  ii.  221. 

Avites,  v.  i.  561. 

B. 

Baal  Berith  and  his  horrid  sacrifices,  v. 
i.  347. 

Balak,  king  of  Moab,  263.. ..sends  for 
Balaam,  2S4. 

Barak  delivers  Israel,  329. 

Balaam,   his  country,   263 comes  to 

Balak,  264.. ..is  rebuked  by  an  angel, 
265. ...attempts  to  curse  Israel,  267.... 
but  blesses  them,  269.. ..circumvents 
them  by  his  counsels,  271.. ..is  slain, 
274. 

Baash,  king  of  Israel,  493. 

Babylon,  v.  ii.  8. 

Bacchides,a  general,  113. 

Bahurim,  a  city,  450. 

Earzillai,  David's  friend,  452. 

Batlisheba,  her  history,  440. 

Baruch,  15. 

Bagoas,  this  Eunuch,  22. 

Bel  and  the  dragon,  50. 

Beltshazzar,  his  short  and  impionsreign, 
44. ...sees  a  hand-writing  on  the  wall, 
45. ...is  slain  by  Darius,  46. 

Een'jamites  ciTtoff,  v.  i.  323. 

Bethel,  God's  house,  Jacob's  dream 
there,  82. 

Bethlehem,  332. ...Christ  bom  there,  v. 
ii.  222. 

Bethshemo?;h,  V.  i.  372. 

15ethsura,  a  city,  v.  ii.  112. 

Bethulia,  Judith's  city  besieged,  19. 

Binacha,  valley  of  blessing,  (see  84th 
pj^alm)  v.  i.507. 

Blasphemer  stoned,  237. 

Book  lirst  mentioned  in  history,  224. 

Born  ;igaui  here  possible,  v.  ii.  246. 


Bricks,  how  made  In  the  east,  v.  i.  185. 
C. 

Cain  born,  v.  i.  22... .kills  Abel,  23. 

Caleb,  310.. ..takes  Hebron,  311. 

Canaanites  described,  245. 

Cassijisand  Crassus,  v.ii.  139. 

Cxsar  Julius,  139. 

Capernaum,  a  city  of  Galilee,  244. 

Carmel  mount,  v.  i.  498. 

Carchemish,  v.  ii.  8. 

Capharsalum,  a  city,  114. 

Cendebeus,  a  general,  126. 

Circumcision  instituted,  50. 

Civil  v/ar  in  Israel,  428. 

Chariots  first  described,  207,  327. 

Chemosh,  480. 

Cherith,  a  brook,  495. 

Cleo|)atra,  queen  of  Egypt,  131. 

Cilicia,  122. 

Corban,  or  the  curse  among  the  Jews, 
•what  it  was,  305. 

Cozbi  slain  by  Phineas,  v.  i.  272. 

Cushan  rishathaime,314. 

Cushi,  454. 

Crete,  now  Candia  v.  ii.  119. 

Cyrus,  king  of  Persia,  52. 
D. 

Dalilah,  Samson's  treacherous  wife,  v: 
i.  363  ...sells  her  husband  to  his  ene- 
mies, 364. 

Dagon  described,  364.. ..falls  before  the 
ark,  371. 

Dan,  its  idolatry,  317- 

Daniel,  v.  ii.  34. ...his  history,  35,  41,  44, 
49,  51. 

Darkness,  Egyptian,  v.  i.  200. 

Darius  Hystaspes,  or  Ahasuerus,  v.  ii. 
52. 

Darius  Codomanus,  89. 

Darius  the  Mede,  50. 

1  >arius  Nothus,  60. 

David,  king  of  Israel....his  origin. ...a- 
nointedby  Samuel,  v. i.  399. ...introdu- 
ced to  Saul,  400. ...slays  Goliah,  403- 
....flies  from  Saul,  414. ...spares  him 
in  the  cave,  416..  .goes  to  Gath,  420 
....laments  over  Saul  and  Jonathan, 
426. ...takes  Jerusalem,  432. ...defeats 
and  ruins  the  Philistines,  433. ...de- 
feats the  Syrians,  436. ...takes  Ra!>- 
bah,  441. ...is  guilty  of  murder  and 
adultery,  440. ...makes  Solomon  king, 
and  dies,  468...  his  character. 

Deborah,  the  ])rophetess,  348. ...her  song 
of  triumph,  330. 

Deluge,  30....abate.s,32. 

Demetrius,  v.  ii.  114. 

Devil  tempts  Chri.st,  236. 

Dinah,  her  fall,  v.  i.  98. 


INDEX. 


1» 


l")org  slays  the  Lord's  priests,  413. 
Dothan,  a  city,  520. 
Doves  dung,  what  is  meant  by  it  in 
Scripture,  521. 

E. 
Ebal  mount,  296. 
EbeJmelech,  the  black,  v.  ii.  25. 
Ebenezer,  stone  of  help,  v.  i.  374. 
Eclipse  at  our  Saviour's  death,  v.  ii.  414. 
Ecbutan,  a  city  of  Media,  v.  i.  558. 
Edomites,512. 
Eglon,  kingof  Moab,  o26. 
Ehud  delivers  Israel,  325. 
Elah,  valley  of,  401. 
Elali,  king  of  Israel,  493. 
Eldad  and  Medad  prophesy,  241 . 
Eleazar,  brother  of  Judas,  killed,  v.  ii. 

112. 
Eleazar,  killed  by  order  of  Antiochus, 

96. 
Eli  judges  Israel,   v.  i.  365. ...his  sons 

wickedness,  367. 
Elijah,  495. ...destroys  Baal's  priests,  497 
....prays  for  rain,  498. ...taken  up  to 
heaven,  510. 
'Elisha  succeeds  Elijah,  510. ...divides  the 
Jordan,  510. ...curses  the  wicked  chil- 
dren, 511. ...feeds  a  poor  widow,  510 
raises  up  a  dead  child  to  life,  515.... 
causes  iron  to  swim,  and  dies,  536. 
Eliashib,  v.  ii.  81. 
Elon  judges  Israel,  v.  i.  355. 
Elizabeth,  mother  of  John  the  Baptist, 

V.  ii.  217. 
EJymas  the  sorceror,  495. 
Esther,  queen,  her  e.^traordinary  history, 

53. 

Esarhaddon,  king  of  Assyria,  v.  i.  567. 

Esau  born,   71. ...sells  his  birthright,  72 

marries  two  Canaanitish  wives,  76. ... 

loses  the  blessing,  78. 

Ephraimites,   their  quarrel  with  Jeph- 

thah,  355. 
Ethbaal,  father  of  Jezebel,  king  of  Si- 
don,  494. 
Euphrates,  river,  v.  ii.  13. 
Eve,  her  creation  and  fall,  v.  i.  18. 
Essenes,  account  of,  172. 
Evilmerodach,  king  of  Babylon,  v.  ii.  44. 
Ezra  comes  to  Jerusalem,  65... .dedicates 
the  temple,  66. 

F. 
Fable  of  Jotham,  the  first  in  history,  v. 

i.  346. 
Fall  of  man,  19. 
Famine  in  Egypt,  120. 
Festivals,  232. 

Fiery   furnace,    Nebuchadnezzar's,   v. 
Ji.  38. 


First  born  slain,  v.  i.  203. 
1  Ties,  plague  of,  193. 
Food,  what  allowed,  233. 
Fo.xes,    story   of   Samson's   explained, 
361. 

G. 
Gabinius,  v.  ii.  138. 
Gabel,  v.  i.  556. 
Gabriel  appears  to  the  Virgin  Mary,  v. 

ii.  216. 
Gaza,  its  gates  carried  off  by  Samson, 

V.  i   363. 
Gedaliah,  v.  ii.  31. 
Gehazi,  Elisha's  servant,  519. 
Gibeonites,  their  fraud,  v.  i.  297. ...made 

slaves  to  Israel,  299. 
Gibeah,  its  horrid  sin,  320. ...and  over- 
throw, 323. 
Gideon  defeats  theMidianites,  341. 
Gilgal,  the  circumcision  there,  288. 
Gilboa,  Saul  slain  there,  425. 
Golden  calf,  account  of,   220.... reduced 

to  powder  by  Moses,  and  how,  222. 
Goliah  slain  by  David,  403. 
Gozan  in  Media,  555. 
H. 
Hagar  given  to  Abraham,  48. ...expelled 
his  family,  49. ...again  driven  out,  6U 
....comforted  \)y  an  angel,  61. 
Haggai,  the  prophet,  v.  ii.  61. 
Hainan,  his  history,  54. ...and  fall,  58. 
Hamor  and  Shechem,  their  story   and 

massacre,  v.  i.  99. 
Hanan,  king  of  Animon,  438. 
Harbonah,  the  eunuch,  v.  ii.  59. 
Hazael,  king  of  Syria,  v.  i.  499. ...smo- 
thers his  master,  526. 
Heber,  the  Kenite,  329. 
Herod  the  Great,  v.    ii.  140. ...marries 
Mariamne,    144. ...flies  into  Parihia, 
145.... goes  to  Mark   Antony,    148.... 
besieges  and  takes  Jerusalem,  152.... 
puts  Hircanus  to  death,  159. ...and  his 
wife  Mariamne,  162. ...builds  Cjesarea 
in  honour  of  Augustus,   163. ...sketch 
of  Herod's  character,   164. ...account 
of  his  family  and  successors,    165.... 
further  particularsof  his  reign,  185..,. 
and  miserable  end,  188. 
Herod  Agrippa,  smitten  of  God,  494. 
Hezekiah,  his  good  reign,  v.  i.  56^. 
High-Priest,  his  vestments,  230. 
Hinnom,  the  valley  of,  551. 
Hiram,  king  of  Tyrus,  473. 
Hircanus,  v.  ii.  127.  ' 
Holy  Ghost,  descent  of,  461. 
Horofemes,20. 
Hophra,  king  of  Eygpt,  25, 
Hiildah,  the  prouheiess,  .6. 


IV 


INDEX. 


Herod  Antipas,  the  raurderor  of  John 
the  Baptist,  297. 

Herodias,  some  account  of  her,  296. 
I. 

Ibzan,  judges  Israel,  v.  i.  355. 

Isaiah  the  prophet,  565. 

IsraeHtes  enslaved  by  the  Egyptians,  168 
....their  cliildren  ordered  to  be  drown- 
ed, 169....savedl>y  the  midwives,  170 
...quit  Egypt  on  Tuesday  the  5th  of 

.  May,  before  Christ  1491  years,  205 
....cross  the  Red  Sea,  209. ...their  re- 
bellion, 240.... again  at  Kadesh,  243 
...enslaved  by  Eglon,  325. ...and  by 
Jabin,  329.. ..by  Midian,  and  are  deli- 
vered by  Gideon,  341. ...and  by  Jeph- 
thah,  351....chuse  a  king,  375. ...de- 
feated at  Aphek,  422. ...finally  led 
away  captive  and  dispersed,  554. 

Isaac  born,  59....offei-ed  to  God,  64.... 
marries  Rebekah,  70  ...travels  to  Ge- 
rar,  73... and  to  Beersheba,  75--- 
blesses  his  two  sons. 

Ishmael  born,  49. 

Ishbosheth,  Saul's  son,  king,  431. 

J 

Jabin,  king  of  Canaan,  v.  i.  327. 

Jacob  born,  71. ...obtains  the  birthright, 
72.. ..deceives  his  father,  77. ...flies  to 
Padan-aram,  81. ...his  dream  at  Beih- 
ti,  82. ...marries  Leah,  85. ...and  Ra- 
chel, 86 — bis  prosperity,  88 — depen- 
dance  on  providence,  89 — leaves  La- 
ban,  90 — wrestles  with  an  augcl,  96 — 
meets  Esau,  97 — puts  away  his  fami- 
ly's idols,  101 — visits  his  father  Isaac, 
102 — sends  his  sons  to  Egypt  for 
corn,  120 — goes  to  meet  Joseph,  132 
' — blesses  his  sons  and  dies,  aged  138 
ye:i.rs,  138. 

Jaddua,  High-Priest,  v.  ii.  89. 

Jair  judges  Israel,  v.  i.  348. 

Jamnia,  a  city,  y.  ii.  110. 

Jason,  High-Priest,  93. 

Jehus,  since  called  Jerusalem,  v.  i.  310. 

Jehoiada,  High-Priest,  Sic>\i. 

Jehu,  the  prophet,  492. 

Jehu,  king  of  Israel,  499 — cuts  off  A- 
hab's  family,  528. 

Jehosa];hat,  king  of  Judah,  500. 

Jehoahaz,  king  of  Judah,  527.  v.  ii.  11, 

Jehoram.  king  of  Judah,  slain  by  Jehu, 
V.  i.  537,  559. 

Jchoiakim,  king  pf  Judah,  v.  ii.  528. 

Jerusalem,  its  king  slain,  118 — taken  by 
David,  V.  i  432. 

Jeremiah  the  prophet,  v.  ii.  9. 

Jephthah,  v.  i.  349 — ^judges  and  delivers 
Israel,  351--:his  rash  j^ow,  352. 


Jericho,  city  of  Palnj-trees  taken,  335. 

Jeroboam  I.  481 — rebels  against  Rcho- 
hoam,  484 — sets  up  the  golden  calves, 
484. 

Jeroboam,  his  reign  in  Israel,  512. 

Jethro,  prince  of  Midian,  174 — his  visit 
and  advice  to  Moses,  217. 

Jezebel,  492 — married  to  Ahab,  494 — 
her  miserable  end,  529. 

Judah,  his  marriage,  1Q9 — his  folly  with 
Tamar,  110 — his  generosity  in  Egypt, 
129. 

Judah,  trilje  of,  ordered  against  the  Ca- 
naanites,  309. 

Judas  Maccabeus,  his  history,  v.  ii.  107. 

Judith,  her  history,  99 — slays  Holofer- 
nes,  22. 

Joab,  David's  general,  his  history,  v.  i. 
428. 

Joakim,  v.  ii.  23. 

Job,  his  supposed  country i,  v.  i.  151— 
time  when  he  lived,  153 — his  riches, 
153 — and  misfortunes,  155 — rebuked 
by  his  friends,  161 — his  restoration, 
164 — reflections  on  his  history,  165, 
166. 

Joseph  of  Arimathea,  v.  ii.  419. 

Joseph,  his  dreams,  v.  i.  105 — sold  into 
Egypt,  113,  114 — thrown  into  prison, 
115 — interprets  the  butler  and  baker's 
dream,  ll6 — called  before  Pharaoh, 
118 — made  lord  over  Egypt,  119 — sees 
his  brethren  come  for  corn,  121 — 
makes  himself  known  to  them,  130 
— sends  for  and  meets  his  father,  133 
and  dies  in  Egypt,  aged  110  years. 

Jonathan,  Saul's  son,  392. 

Jonah  prophesies  at  Nineveh,  540 — 
swallowed  by  a  fish,  541 — his  discon- 
tentj  545. 

Jotham,  king  of  Judah,  549. 

Joppa,  city  of,  now  Jaffa,  v.  ii.  120. 

Jonathan,  one  of  the  Maccabees,  109, 
117. 

Josephus,  93. 

Josiah,  his  pious  reign,  4. 

Joshua,  takes  the  command  over  Israel, 
v.  i.  282 — passes  the  Jordan,  287 — 
takes  Jericho,  291 — slays  five  kings, 
299 — defeats  the  united  Canaanites, 
301 — divides  the  promised  land,  303 
and  dies,  aged  110  years,  306. 

Jesus  Christ  the  Saviour  of  the  world, 
born  at  Bethlehem,  v.  ii.  222 — cir- 
cvnncised  on  the  8th  day,  225 — escapes 
Herod's  crucltv,  227 — is  carried  into 
Egypt,  228— d'wells  at  Nazareth,  229  * 
disputes  in  the  tfraple  at  twelve  years 
ofuge,  230 — lives  with  his  supposed 


INDEX. 


parents  till  30  years  of  age,  211 — state 
of  Jiidca  at  that  time,  232,  233 — be- 
gins his  mission,  236 — is  acknowlctlg- 
<-d  by  the  baptist  as  the  Messiah,  237" 
led  into  the  wilderness  to  be  tempted, 
;^38 — turns  water  into  wine,  244 — 
drives  the  l>uyers  and  sellers  out  of  the 
temple,  245 — foreicllshis  own  resur- 
rection, 245 — confers  with  Nicode- 
mus  on  the  nature  of  regeneration, 
246 — is  followed  by  many  disciples, 
247 — goes  into  Galilee,  250 — confers 
with  the  v.'oman  of  Samaria,  251 — 
leaves  Nazareth  and  goes  to  Caperna- 
um, 253 — the  miraculous  draught  of 
fishes,  254 — cures  the  diseased,  254 
— confessed  by  the  devils,  255 — ap- 
peases a  great  storm,  256 — cures  two 
possessed  with  dcv.ls,  257^-cures  a 
lame  man  on  the  sabbath-day,  259 — 
calls  Matthew  the  publican,  260 — 
cures  Jairus' daughter,  261 — restores 
sight  to  the  blind,  263 — explains  the 
true  nature  of  the  Sabbath-day,  269 — 
restores  a  poor  man's  right  hand,  272 
numbers  his  twelve  aj)ostles,  275 — 
instructs  them  in  their  duties,  276 — 
preaches  his  sermon  on  the  Mount, 
277,  281-i-heals  the  centurion's  ser- 
vant, 283 — raises  the  widow's  son  to 
life,  284— dines  with  Simon  the  pha- 
risee,  287 — accused  of  deaUng  with 
the  devil,  289 — speaks  man)  parables, 
290,  293 — is  driven  out  of  Nazareth, 
295 — feeds  five  thousand  miraculous- 
ly, 298 — explains  what  is  the  bread  of 
life,  302 — goes  to  Tyre  and  Sidon, 
506 — casts  a  devil  out  of  a  child,  307 
— returns  to  Galilee,  and  cures  one 
deaf  and  dumb,  308 — again  feeds  4000 
miraculously,  309  — ])redicts  his  own 
death,  316 — is  transfigured  on  Mount 
Tabor,  311 — pays  the  tribute  at  Ca- 
pernaum, 318 — cures  ten  lepers,  322 
comes  to  Jerusalem,  322 — and  cures  a 
blind  man,  327 — sends  out  70  disci- 
])les,  330 — his  parable  of  the  good  Sa- 
maritan, 332 — cures  an  hifirm  woman, 
337 — heals  a  man  of  the  dropsy,  338 
goes  up  to  Jerusalem  to  the  feast  of 
dedication,  339 — the  parable  of  La- 
zarus and  the  rich  glutton,  343 — ex- 
plains the  true  nature  and  causes  of 
divorce,  342 — the  parable  of  the  Pha- 
risee and  jniblican,  344 — blesses  the 
young  children,345 — Martha  and  Ma- 
ty invite  him  to  Bethany,  350 — he 
raises  Lazarus  from  the  dead,  350 — 
foretells  his  own  crucifixion,  351 — 


restores  Bartimcus  to  sight,  353  — Ma- 
rv  anoints  him  at  Bethany,  35.) — he 
enters  Jerusalem  in  triumph,  357 — 
certain  Greeks  visit  bim,  359 — he  cur- 
ses the  barren  tig-tree,  360 — reproves 
the  Pharisees,  362 — fonjtclls  the  de- 
struction of  tlie  Jews,  362 — his  wise 
answers  to  them,  364 — confuies  the 
Sadducees,  365 — cautions  his  disci- 
])le&  against  hypocrisy,  366 — his  ]iara- 
ble  of  the  ten  virgins,  367 — Judas  sells 
him  to  the  Jewish  Sanhedrim,  370 — 
cats  the  paschal  lamb  with  his  disci- 
ples, and  institutes  the  sacrament  of 
the  Lord's  supper,  washes  his  dis- 
ciples feet,  371 — warns  Judas  to  be- 
ware, 375 — his  dreadful  agony  in  the 
garden,  383 — he  is  be;ra)  ed  by  Judas, 
386 — carried  before  Annas  and  Caia- 
]jhas,  388 — is  condemned  by  the  San- 
hedrim, 392 — denied  by  Peter,  394 — 
taken  before  Pontius  Pilate,  395 — 
sent  by  him  to  Herod  Antipas,  400 — 
is  most  unjustly  condemned  by  Pilate, 
403 — is  mocked,  scourged,  and  crown- 
ed with  thorns,  404 — foretells  the  de- 
struction of  Jerusalem,  406 — is  cruci- 
fied on  mount  Calvary,  407 — earth- 
quake and  darkness  at  his  death,  413, 
414 — exjMres  about  three  in  the  after- 
noon, and  buried  the  same  evening, 
416 — his  resurrection,  422 — ^appears 
to  Thomas,  433 — his  ascension,  439 
his  parables, 446 — and  discourses, 447. 

John  the  baptist  files  from  Herod  to  the 
wilderness,  v.  ii.  233 — his  mode  of  liv- 
ing and  preaching  there,  234 — bears 
witness  to  Jesus,  249 — is  imprisoned 
by  Herod^  250— and  beheaded  by  him, 
297. 

John  St.  the  divine,  212 — his  writings, 
sufterings,  and  death,  213,  214. 

Judas  betrays  Christ,  370 — repents  and 
hangs  himself,  396. 
K. 

Karaites,  a  sect  among  the  Jews,  169. 

Keilah,  a  town  of  Judah,  413. 

Kerharsarah  taken,  513; 

Korah  Dathan  and  Abiram,  v.  i.  249, 
251. 

L. 

Lacedemonians,  v.  ii.  124. 

Lachish,  a  city  of  Judah— Joash  killed 
there,  v.  i.  538. 

Lei)ersfour  at  Samaria,  523. 

Lihnah,  a  city,  .527. 

Lions  among  the  Samaritans,  560. 

Locusts,  account  of,  19^. 

Lot  leaves  Chaldea,  40— quits  Abram, 


vt 


INDE-X.. 


43— flics  from  Sodom,  55---fate  of  his 
■wife,  56— dwells  in  a  cave,  57"— his 
daughters  wii-kedness,  57 . 

Luke  St.  an  account  of  hiin,  v.  ii.  209. 

Lysias,  a  general  to  Antiochus,  106. 

Lydia  of  I'hyatira,  jctY, 
M. 

Maccabees,  their  name  whence  derived, 
V.  ii.  128. 

Magicians  of  Egypt,  v.  i.  189. 

Magi  described,  v.  ii.  c>'6. 

Malachi,  last  of  the  prophets,  85  to  287. 

Malchus,  122. 

Malichus,  142. 

Manoah  visited  by  an  angel,  v.  i.  357. 

Meneiaus,  High-pvlest,  v.  ii.  94. 

Manasseh,  his  imjiious  reign,  v.  i.  571, 
572 — hisrepenrance  and  death,  572. 

Manna,  particular  account  of,  213. 

Mannasses,  High-priest,  v.  ii.  90. 

March  of  Israel,  its  order,  v.  i.  299. 

Marah,  bitter  waters  at,  212. 

Matrimony,  laws  of,  234. 

Mactathias,  father  of  the  Maccabees,  v. 
ii.  104— slays  an  idnlatrous  Jew,  107 
— reestablishes  the  law,  108, 

Mattathias  chosen  in  place  of  Judas, 
455. 

Mark  Antony  the  triumvir,  144. 

Mathaniah,  17. 

Media,  cities  of,  v.  i.  555. 

IMenahem. an  usurper,  550— takes  Tijih- 
sab,550'. 

Mephibosheth,  Saul's  grandson,  437. 

Meroz  cursed  by  Deborati,  430. 

Mcgiddo,  valley  of,  v.  ii.  9. 

Mercdach  Baladan,  king  of  Babvlon,  v. 
i.  569. 

Micah  establishes  idolatry,  315— robbed 
of  his  gods,  318. 

Micaiah,  a  prophet,  505. 

Michal,  Saul's  daughter,  406. 

?4idianites  defeated,  341. 

Mithridates,  the  great  king  of  Pontus, 
134. 

Miriam,  instrumental  in  saving  Moses, 
171-  -her  ingra'itude  and  punishment, 
243— her  death,  255. 

Mizpeh,  the  ark  there,  373, 376. 

Moab  descended  from  Lot's  daughter, 
57— enslaves  Israel,  488— Israel,  325. 

Mordecai,  his  history,  v.  ii.  54. 

Moses  born,  v.  i.  170-  -cast  into  the  riv- 
er, 170--slays  an  Egyptian,  172-— 
flies  to  Midian,  173— marries  Jethro's 
daughter  and  keepr,  his  flock,  175— 
God  ap;)ears  to  him  at  Horeb,  176— 
is  sent  to  deliver  Israel,  180— rudely 
treated  by  Pharaoh,  184 — smites  E- 
gypt  with  ten  terrible  plagues,  190  to 


200— his  song  of  triumph  after  pass- 
ing through  the  Red  Sea,  211--strike9- 
the  rock  in  Horeb,  215--goes  up  to 
Mount  Sinai,  217— receives  the  law 
from  God,  225— sends  ambassadors 
to  Edom^  257 — defeats  the  Amorites, 
261 — his  charge  to  Israel,  277— and 
death,  279. 

Mount  Zion,  572. 

Matthew,  St.  account  of  him,  v.  ii.  204. 
and  of  his  gospel,  205. 

Mark,  St.  his  preaching,  writings,  and 
death,  206. 

N. 

Naaman  the  Syrian,  a  leper,  v.  i.  517. 

Nabal,  his  history,  417. 

Naboth  murdered  by  Ahab  and  Jezebel, 
504. 

Nadab  and  Abihu  burnt,  236. 

Nahash,  kmgof  the  Ammonites,  438. 

Nahum,  the  prophet,  v.  ii.  10. 

Nathan,  the  prophet,  v.  i.  435. 

Nathaniel  acknowledges  Christ,  v.  ii. 
242. 

Naomi,  her  history,  v.  i.  331. 

Nazarite,  whatit  was,  356. 

Necho,  king  of  Egypt,  v.  ii.  8— kills  Jo- 
siah,  9. 

Nebuchadnezzar,  13— defeats  Arphax- 
ad,  king  of  Media,  20— his  fatal 
dream,  39— his  madness,  repentance, 
and  death,  43. 

Nebuzaradan,  27. 

Nehemiah,  governor  of  Judea,  68— re- 
pairs Jerusalem,  69 — purges  the  tem- 
ple, 83. 

Nergal,  an  Assyrian  idol,  v.  i.  561. 

Nicanor,  Antiochus's  general,  v.  ii.  115. 

Nicodemus  comes  to  Christ  by  night, 
206. 

Nile  river,  account  of  it,  v.  i.  191. 

Nineveh,  the  capital  of  Assyria,  some 
account  of  it,  539 — Jonah  prophecies 
there,  544— its  overthrow  and  total 
ruin,  551. 

Nob,  the  city -of  the  priests  destroj-ed  by 
Saul,  410. 

Noah  born,  26— enters  the  ark,  29-- 
blesses  his  sons,  oS. 

Numbering  the  people,  461. 
O. 

Obed,  the  prophet,  434. 

Omri,  king  of  Israel,  495. 

Oreb  and  Zeeb  slain,  341. 

Othniel  take.-i  Debir,  310— marries  Ca- 
leb's daughter,  311 — his  administra- 
tion, 314. 

P. 

Pacorus  invades  Judea,  v.  ii.  MS-.-awA 
is  blain,  147. 


INDEX. 


vu 


Passover  instituted,  v.  i.203. 

Paul  at  the  death  of  Stephen,  v.  ii.  479 
—his  conversion,  484— preaches  at 
Damascus,  485— his  discourse  at  An- 
tioch,  496— heals  a  cripple  at  Lystra, 
500-  -parts  from  Barnabas,  305— con- 
verts his  jailer,  508— jirc-cfches  at  A- 
thens,  511"-founds  the  church  of  Co- 
rinth, 515— and  of  Ephesus,  519— 
raises  a  dead  man  at  Troas,  521 — 
goes  to  Jerusalem,  525— is  persecuted 
by  the  Jews,  527- --delivered  to  the 
Romans,  530— defends  himsel  f  before 
Felix,  Festus,  and  Agrippa,  532 — ap- 
peals to  Caesar,  534— is  sent  to  Rome, 
538— shipwrecked  at  Malta,  540 — 
arrives  at  Rome,  and  is  beheaded  by 
order  of  Nero,  545— his  labours  and 
■writings,  abstract  of,  543. 

Pekah,  v.  i.  5.50. 

Pekaiah,  550. 

Pentateuch,  its  antiquity,  279. 

Persepolis  Of  Elymais,  v.  ii.  109. 

Persecution  of  the  Jews,  97. 

Peter  called  by  Jesus,  241 — denies 
Christ  and  repents,  392,  393. 

Peter  denies  Christ,  394--sent  to  Cor- 
nelius, 488 — delivered  from  prison, 
492. 

Pharaoh,  king  of  Egypt,  v.  i.  168— his 
cruelty,  185— is  drowned  in  the  Red 
Sea,  210. 

Pharisees,  particular  account  of,  v.  ii. 

in. 

Philip,  a  Phrygian,  95. 

Philip  the  apostle  called,  241. 

Philip  converts  the  Eunuch,  482. 

Philistines, 49, 337— besiege  Aphek,  and 
take  the  ark,  370 — defeated  by  Sam- 
uel, 373. 

Phul,  king  of  Assyria,  550. 

Plagues  of  Egypt,  v.  i.  1'90. 

Plague  in  Israel,  242. 

Pompey  takes  Jerusalem,  v.  ii.  137. 

Pontius  Pilate,  395-— Christ  brought  be- 
fore him,  395— is  admonished  by  his 
wife,  401 — condemns  Jesus  in  oppo- 
sition to  his  own  sentiments,  403. 

Ptolmy  Epiphanes,  92. 

Ptolomy  Philometer,  121. 

Ptolemais  a  city,  121,  130. 

Purim,  a  lot,  59. 

Qiiails  described,  v.  i.  242 — raised  upon 
the  Israelites,  243. 
R. 
Rabbah  taken,  440. 
Rabshekeh,  his  blasphemy,  565. 
Rahub  entertains  the  spies,  284. 


Ramah,  Samuel's  city,  416. 

Ramoth  a  city,  504. 

Rages  a  city  of  Media,  556. 

Raguel,  5.58. 

Raphael  th.c  angel,  557. 

Red  Sea,  account  of  it,  199. 

Rehoboam,  king,  482 — offends  his  peo- 
ple, 483. 

Resurrection  of  Jesus,  v.  ii.  422. 

Rezin  king  of  Syria,  551. 

Riblahacity  of  Syria,  11, 

Rimmon,  a  Syrian  god,  v.  i.  518. 

Rizpah,  Saul's  concubine,  429. 

Romans  make  an  alliance  with  the 
Jews,  V.  ii.  115. 

Ruth  leaves  her  country  with  Naomi,  v. 
1.  ool. 

S. 

Sacrifices  first  mentioned,  32 — beasts  of- 
fered, 231. 

Sabbath  breaker  stoned,  248. 

Sadducees,  account  of,  v.  ii.  167. 

Samson,  his  birth,  v.  i.  357--marries 
a  Philistine  Avoman,  358 — kills  a 
lion,  359- -burns  the  Philistine  corn, 
361 — retires  to  the  Rock  Etam,  361— 
slays  a  thousand  of  his  enemies,  362— 
has  his  eyes  put  out,  364— epulis  dowa 
the  temple  of  Dagon,  and  dies,  365. 

Samuel  born,  366— called  by  God,  368— 
governs  Israel  twenty  years,  373— 
anoints  Saul  king,  376 — dies  at  Ra- 
mah, 416. 

Samaria  built,  494— its  dreadful  siege 
and  famine,  555— is  providentially  de- 
livered, 523. 

Salmanassar  king  of  Assyria,  555. 

Sare])ta  a  city,  495. 

Sarah,  her  death,  v.  i.  64. 

Saul,  first  king  of  Israel,  391 — defeats 
the  Ammonites.  392 — and  the  Phi- 
listines, 392— visited  by  an  evil  spirit, 
400 — is  jealous  of  David,  405--gives 
him  his  daughter,  406 — persecutes 
him,  414— consults  the  witch  of  En- 
dor,  422— and  falls  in  battle  with  his 
sons,  423. 

Seleucus,  v.  ii.92. 

Sects  among  the  Jews,  66. 

Serpents,  fiery,  v.  i.  259. 

Se'rpent,  brazen,  259. 

Seth  born,  25. 

Sennacherib,  565 — his  army  destroyed, 
566— -assassinated  by  his  sens,  567. 

Seven  sons  and  their  mother  killed,  v.  ii. 
96. 

Shamgar  delivers  Israel,  v.  i.  326. 

Shallum,  a  usurper,  549. 


Vui 


INDEX. 


Shaclrach,  Meshech,  and  Abednego,  v. 

ii.  34. 
Sheba,  queen  of,  v.  i.  477. 
Sbebnah,  565. 
Shechemites  destroyed,  100. 
Shekel  of  silver,  its  value,  315. 
'  ■  '  of  gold,  its  valua,  565. 

Shimei  curses  David,  450. 
Shishak  invades  Judea,  487. 
Sihon,  king  of  the  Amorites,  261. 
Simon,  v.  ii.  116. 
Sodom  destroyed,  v.  i.  56. 
Solomon  born,  443 — made  king,  467 — 

his  great  wisdom,  471— his  alliance 

with  Hiram,  473— builds  the  temple 

at  Jerusalem,  473 — falls  into  idolatry, 

479— repents  and  dies,  481. 
Spies  hid  by  Rahab,  244. 
Stephen  stoned,  v.  ii.  479. 
Strange  fire  oftered,  v.  i.  236. 
Straton,the  tower  of,  v.  ii.  130. 
Sun  and  moon  stand  still,  v.  i.'300. 
Susanna  and  the  two  elders,  v.  ii.49. 

T. 
Tabernacle  described,  v.  i.  228. 
Tables  of  stone,  225. 
Talmud,  accountof  it,  v.  ii.  169. 
Tamar,  David's  daughter,  v.  i.  443. 
Targums,  account  of,  v.  ii.  174 — that  of 

Onkelos,   177— of  Jonathan,    178— 

their  use,  181. 
Tartan,  v.  i.  565. 
Tatnai,  v.  ii.63. 
Temple  founded  by  Solomon,  v.  i.  474 

— destroyed  by  Nebuchadnezzar,  v.  ii. 

27 — rebuilt  by  Zerubbabel,  v.  ii.68 — 

stopped  by  its  enemies,  52. 
Teraphim,  what,  v.  i.  315. 
Thomas,  his  unbelief,  v.  ii.  433. 
Tiglath,  king  of  Assyria,  v.  i.  554. 
Tlmotheus,  a.  general,  v.  ii.  110. 
Ti^ranes,  king  of  Armenia,  134. 


Tiphsah,  a  city,  v,  i.  549. 

Tobiah,the  Ammonite,  v.  ii.  70. 

Tobit  and  Tobias,  v.  i.  557. 

Tola,  a  judge  of  Israel,  348. 

Tower  of  Babel,  36. 

Tyre  and  Sidon,  v.  ii.  17. 
U. 

Uriah  slain,  v.  i.  440. 

Uzzah,  killed  for  touching  the  ark,  434. 

Uzziah  king  of  Judah,  548— totally  ru- 
ins the    Philistines,    548 — is   struck 
with  leprosy,  549. 
V. 

Vashti,  queen  of  Persia,  v.  ii.  53. 

Ventidnts  kills  Pacorus,  149. 

Virgin  Mary  saluted  by  the  angel  Ga- 
briel, 217. 

Visits  Elizabeth,  218. 
W. 

Whirlwind,  described,  v.  i.  156. 

Wise  mencome  to  Jerusalem,  v.  ii.  224. 
Z. 

Zabad  kills  his  master,  v.  i.  535. 

Zaccheus,  accountof  him,  v.  ii.  353. 

Zadok  the  priest,  v.  i.  449. 

Zeba  andZalmunna,  342. 

Zechariah,  king  of  Israel,  548. 

Zechariah,  the  prophet,  v.  ii.  62. 

Zechariah  the  priest  slain,  v.  i.  534. 

Zedekiah,  his  impious  reign  and  captivi- 
ty, V.  ii.  24. 

Zechariah,  father  of  John  the  Baptist, 
217— slain  by  Herod,  297. 

Zelophehad,  his  daughters,  v.  i.  276. 

Zephaniah,  v.  ii.  204. 

Zerah,  the  Ethiopian,  v.  i.  490. 

Ziba,  Saul's  servant,  437. 

Ziklag burnt,  425. 

Zimri  slain,  v.  ii.  272. 

Zimri,  king,  v.  i.  494. 

Ziph,  andZiphites,  419. 

Zerubbabel,  v.  ii.  51. 


SUBSCRIBERS'  NAMES. 


Mr.  John-  Allen,  Botetourt  county,  Virgiiiia. 
Mr.  Robert  Anderson,    do.  do. 

Mr.  James  D.  Anderson,  Al^beville,  S.  C. 
Rev.  Joseph  BuUer,  Grcnville,  Miss.  Territory. 
Mr.  James  Bolls,  do.         do. 

Mr.  John  Bolls,  senr.      do.         do. 
Mr.  John  Burch,  do.         do. 

Mr.  John  Buchannan,  Indianna  co.  Pennsjivanla. 
Capt.  John  Beale,  Botetourt  co.  Vir. 
Col.  H.  Bower,         do.  do. 

Mr.  John  D.  Bibb,  Abbeville,  S.  C. 
Mr.  Thomas  Brough,  do. 

Mr.  Thomas  S.  Baskin,         do. 
Mr.  L.  Lowndes  Brown,       do. 
Col.  Robert  Barnwell,  Beaufort,  S.  C. 
Mesrs.  Birch  &  Small,  Philadelphia,  12  copies^ 
Rev.  Thomas  Cleland,  Wash.  co.  Kentucky. 
Mr.  John  Craven,  Washington  city. 
Wm.  H.  Caldwell,  Abbeville,  S.  C. 
Rev.  David  Cooper,  Grenville,  M.  T. 
Waterman  Crane,  Esq. 
Israel  Coleman,  Esq. 
Ebenezer  Clapp,  Esq. 
Thomas  Cooper,  A.  B. 
Mr.  Jesse  Cook, 
John  W.  Chandler. 
Mr.  Ralph  Crabb,  Botetourt,  co.  Vir. 
Mr.  George  Cary,  Abbeville,  S.  C. 
Mr.  James  Collier,        do.         do. 
Col.  Joseph  Colhoun     do.         do. 
Mr.  John  Cameron,        do.         do. 
Oliver  D.  Cook,  New-Haven,  Connecticut,  2  cop. 
Mr.  David  Darden,  Grenville,  M.  T. 
Mr.  Samuel  Dickson,  Charleston  S.  C. 
Mr.  Alexander  Don,         do. 
Mr.  Robert  Deas,  do. 

William  Davidson,  junr.  Botetourt,  co.  Vir. 
Rev.  John  B.  Davis,  Chester  dis.  S.  C. 
Rev.  Dimiei  Dana,  Ncvvburyport,  Mass. 


do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

do. 

SUBSCRIBERS'  NAMES. 

Rev.  Hugh  Dickson,  Abbeville,  S.  C. 

Rev.  James  Dickson,  Pindleton,  S.  C. 

Mr.  Israel  Davis,  do.         do. 

Mr.  Ezekiel  Flower,  Grenville,  M.  T. 

Mr.  Jonah  Flower,         do.  do. 

Mr.  George  Fulton,  Philadelphia. 

Mrs.  (Charles)  Frier,  Charleston,  S.  C. 

Mr.  Jchn  Grant,  Philadelphia. 

John  N.  Gamble,  Esq.  Knoxville,  Tennesse, 

Mr.  Wm.  Grilling,  Grenville,  M.  T. 

Wm.  Gra}  don,  Esq.  Harrisburgh,  Penn.  6  cop, 

Joseph  Gaston,  Esq.  Grenville,  Ten. 

Rev.  Daniel  Gray,  Union  dis.  S.  C. 

Mr.  Eli  Gordon,  Newbury  dis.  S.  C. 

Mr.  William  Gilman,  New-Jersey. 

Mrs.  Sarah  Gibbes,  Charleston,  S.  C.  2  cop. 

Mrs.  Mary  C.  Gregorie,  do.         do. 

Mr.  Wm.  Gray,  Abbeville,  S.  C. 

Mr.  David  Hogan,  Philadelphia,  4  cop. 

Rev.  Thomas  Hamilton,  New- York. 

Mesrs.  Hopkins  &  Bayard    do.     6  copies. 

John  Henderson,  Esq.  Grenville,  M.  T. 

Mr.  Jesse  Harper,  do.  do. 

Mr.  Daniel  Harrigil         do,  do, 

Mr.  John  Hughey,  Union  dis.  S.  C. 

Rev.  John  Hartt,  Long  Island,  N.   Y. 

Andrew  Hamilton,  Esq.  Botetourt,  Vir. 

Mr.  Joel  Harris,  New -Jersey. 

Mr.  Joseph  Houston,  Abbeville,  S.  C. 

Alexander  Hunter,  Esq.     do.         do. 

Major  Joseph  Hutton,         do.         do. 

Mr.  John  Haslet  do.         do. 

Mr.  John  Harris  do.         do. 

Miss  Eliza  Hext,  Charleston,  do. 

Mr.  Daniel  Husted,  Cumberland,  N.  J. 

Rev.  Dr.  William  HoUinshead,  Charleston,  S.  C. 

Rev.  Horatio  G.  Jones,  Penn. 

Mr.  Thomas  Jacquett,  Philadelphia. 

Mr.  George  Jones,  do. 

Mr.  John  Jones,  Grenville,  M,  T. 

Mr.  Jonathan  Jones,     do. 


SUBSCRIBERS'  NAMES. 

Mr.  James  Johnson,  Union  dis.  S.  C. 

Mrs.  Sarah  Jonc^?,  Philadelphia. 

Mr.  John  Jorda'i,  Botetourt,  Vir. 

Mrs.  EHsabtth  Jennings,  Charleston  S.  C. 

Rev.  Dr.  Isaac  S.  Keith,  Charleston,  S.  C. 

Mr.  Alexander  B.  Linton,  Abbeville,  S.  C. 

Samuel  Linton,  Esq.  do.  do. 

Mr.  Malachi  Long,  Cumberland,  N.  J. 

Col.  Hut^h  Means,  Union  dis.  S.  C. 

Mr.  John  Means,         do  do. 

Mr.  Hugh  Means,  jur.  do. 

Hugh  Morrah,  Abbeville,  S.  C. 

]M;    William  Magan,    do. 

Cc^pt.  Hugh  Mecklin,  do. 

Mr.  Charles  Martin,     do. 

Rev.  Dr.  Samuel  Miller,  New- York. 

Mr.  John  M;.iybin,  Philadelphia. 

Mr.  Wm.  Miliiken,      do. 

Mr.  Thomas  M'Daniel,  Grenville,  M.  T. 

Marchant,  Willington,  St  co.  Charleston,  S.  C. 

Mrs   Martha  Ann  Matthews,         do. 

Mrs.  Sarah  Matthews,  do. 

Martin  M'Farran,  Botetourt,  Vir. 

Mr.  James  M'Connell,     do. 

Miss  Mary  Mills,  N.  J. 

Mr.  Francis  Nichols,  Philadelphia. 

Andrew  Norris,  Esq.  Abbeville,  S.  C. 

Mr.  Julius  Nichols,  do. 

Major  Samuel  Otterson,  Union  dis.  S.  C. 

Major  John  Oliver,  Petersburg,  Georgia. 

Mr.  John  Powell,  East  Fallowfield,  Penn. 

Capt,  George  Poage,  Botetourt,  Vir. 

Capt.  Frederick  Pitzer,         do. 

Jonah  Patterson,  jur.  Abbeville,  S.  C. 

Wm.  Pnyne,  Esq.  Charleston,  S.  C. 

Mrs,  S.  P.  Parker,         do. 

Mr.  Lewis  Paulin,  Cumberland,  N.  J. 

Mr.  James  Roland,  Botetourt,  Vir. 

Mr.  Robert  Rickey,         do. 

Rev.  James  Rogers,  S.  Carolina. 

Mr.  Henry  Ra venal,  Abbeville,  S.  C. 

Mrs.  Caroline  Rutlcdge,  Charleston,  S.  C. 


SUBSCRIBERS'  NAMES. 

Mr.  James  Ross,  Philadelphia. 

Mr.  Daniel  Richman,  N.  J. 

Rev.  Henry  Smally,  Cumberland,  co.  N.  J. 

Mr.  Jonadab  Shepherd,  do. 

Mr.  Joel  Shepherd,  do. 

Mr.  Joseph  Shepherd,    ,  do. 

Rev.  James  Smiley,  Grenville,  M.  T. 

Rev.  David  Snodgrass,         do. 

John  Stampley,  Esq.  do. 

Wm.  Shaw,  Esq.  do.  -v 

Wm.  Snodgrass,  Esq.  do. 

Mr.  Nathan  Switzer,  Botetourt,  Vir, 

Mr.  Edward  Sharp,  Abbeville,  S.  C. 

Mr.  Joseph  V.  Shanklin,         do. 

Samuel  Saxon,  Esq.  do. 

Capt.  Thomas  Shanklin,  do. 

Mr.  William  Speer,  do. 

Valentine  Sevier,  Esq.  Tennesse. 

George  Smith,  Esq.  Charleston,  S.  C. 

Mrs.  W.  Skirving,  do. 

Mrs.  S.  R.  Simmons,         do. 

Edward  Tilghman,  Esq.  Philadephia,  3  copies. 

ISIessrs.  Thomas  &  Andrews,  Boston,  6  copies. 

Capt.  Jeremiah  S.  Terry,  Abbeville,  S.  C. 

Charles  Tennent,  Esq.  Charleston,      do. 

Mr.  Joseph  Vernon,  Abbeville,  S.  C. 

Mr.  Wm.  Vernon,  do. 

Rev.  Henry  Walker,  Union  dis.  S.  C. 

Dr.  Thomas  Williamson,         do.   . 

Capt.  Thomas  Willson,  Botetourt,  Vir. 

Jacob  Woltz,  M.  D.  do. 

Mr.  James  Watts,  Abbeville,  S.  C. 

Rev.  Moses  Waddel,         do. 

Dr.  John  Watkins  do. 

Mr.  Samuel  N.  Wiare,      do. 

Mr.  Solomon  Weiatt,  Philadelphia,  6  copies. 

Mr.  Toppan  Webster,  Washington  city. 

Rev.  James  Wallis,  N.  Carolina. 

Mr.  William  Wallis,       do. 

Mr.  Roger  Watkins,  Philadelphia. 

Mrs.  Mary  Warham,  Charleston,  S.  C. 

^Ir.  Wm.  Ycungj  Rockland,  near  Wilmington,  Del.  11 


Jn, 


a^ui^  ^  '/■ 


/ 


A'^-VA^ 


c 


.y 


c 


vV_. 


v^^ 


l/e 


/ 


/l^ 


/o: 


— <r- 


■^vf>  > 


i' ^         '   --^i^i  ■^^".'^. 


\ 


'^SkliaKMHm'^fiS-.-iL,^ 


^  ri 


d^' 


'.* .  ♦'  »<. » 


■.A 


I     ■,^*^ 


p-.-'  ■  I' 


-r 


^t 


'i^ 


V 

.««'  I 


VI 


-^i. 


.•*,  \i 


